The World Warriors' Legacy
by Metal Harbinger
Summary: The World Warriors are again drawn into battle by sinister forces from the past, along with a new entity that threatens the foundation of many lives as we know it.
1. Worth Fighting For

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Chapter 1: Worth Fighting For

It was a balmy morning along the Genbu Plains as the sun rose in background behind Suzaku Castle, casting a reddish-orange shade upon the rocky landscape below.

The entire area was tranquil and devoid of most life, broken only by the early morning songs of the birds in the trees.

With nice weather and no other humans in sight, it provided the perfect backdrop for the two warriors who were about to duke it out.

Positioned beneath the shade of an ancient tree was a native warrior with short black hair and black eyes, clad in a tattered white karate gi and red hachimaki with brown fighting gloves. Across his waist he wore a black belt embroidered with traditional kanjis that symbolized the natural elements of wind, wood, fire, and mountains.

He was the warrior known only as Ryu, a man whose prowess in martial arts was so legendary, some questioned if he even existed.

Standing across from him was man of Caucasian descent who stood slightly over six feet tall, with short blond hair, blue eyes and a muscular physique developed thanks to a rigorous training regimen, and plenty of street fights as well. He was also clad like an average run-of-the-mill brawler, wearing just a simple white t-shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers and regular hand wraps.

This man was Cody Travers, a renowned street fighter who was once dubbed the "Hero of Metro City" by the grateful citizens he had helped liberate from the clutches of the vile Mad Gear Gang.

Now he was just some burned out drifter who traveled the globe in search of fights wherever he could, seeking to quench a never ending addiction to fighting.

At the moment both men were going through their last minute preparations, Ryu straightening out his headband and adjusting his gloves, while Cody bounced up and down, punching wildly through the air at an imaginary opponent to psyche himself up, ending with a ready grunt.

"Alright, c'mon Karate Kid, I'm ready for ya'!" Cody shouted as he shifted his weight up and down on his feet with his fists raised.

Ryu didn't reply immediately and stood silently looking his opponent up and down. He sensed the man's arrogance and overconfidence, a man who fought with no real discipline nor desire for self-improvement.

"Hey yo', are you ready to go or not? We agreed to fight y'know," the American brawler continued, "Please don't tell me I traveled all the way to Japan for nothing. Plane tickets aren't that cheap y'know."

"Do you ever question why you fight?" Ryu spoke to the man in heavily-accented English.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Cody said, stopping to scratch the back of his head.

"Why do you fight without purpose?" the Japanese karateka continued, "I know you once fought for a noble cause, yet you allowed yourself to be consumed by an addiction that drove you to fight without a purpose, one which landed you in jail and cost you much hardship in your personal life as well."

Cody was completely caught off guard by his opponent's question and furrowed his brow angrily, "Alright pal, you're starting to tread on some seriously thin ice. You'd better give me a good reason why I shouldn't come over there and punch your teeth down your throat right now! You'd better start talkin'," he said cracking his knuckles.

"I know who you are Cody Travers," Ryu said standing his ground and looking the man directly in his eyes, "You are a friend of Guy's."

Cody bristled at the mention of his former best friend's name and was about to speak again when he was cut off.

"I heard of how you and him fought alongside one another to bring down that criminal syndicate back in Metro City. It was a virtuous accomplishment on your behalf and overall, it was a cause worth fighting for. Now what do you fight for?"

The American fighter was unable to reply, raising a hand to say something, but all he could manage was a frustrated grunt.

Ryu saw his words were beginning to sink in and rightfully they should. He wasn't trying to distract his opponent, but rather make him think.

In all his years of fighting, the vagabond warrior encountered people of all different disciplines who fought for various causes: honor, glory, self-improvement, destiny, justice, survival, redemption, revenge…in the end they all fought for something.

The man before him fought for nothing other than the sake of fighting and it was something that truly disturbed the champion Street Fighter.

"You cannot fight solely for the sake of fighting my friend. It is a hollow, soulless pursuit that will eventually lead you to the path of ruin," Ryu continued, hoping he had given the man something to think about it.

"Damn and I thought Haggar's lectures were bad," Cody shrugged and then paced back and forth before regaining his wits, "Look, do you want to get this over with? Or would you rather just stand there and listen to the tragic story of an 'ex-hero?' Huh?"

Ryu reluctantly raised his fists and went into his fighting stance, "Very well then. I see that your mind is made up. Until then, hold nothing back."

"I won't," Cody replied.

No more words were exchanged as the two men began circling one another, their battle commencing as they carefully observed each other's movements and waited tensely for the first strike.

Cody made the first attempt, getting close and going for a jab directed at his opponent's stomach. Ryu saw the move coming and brought his fist up to parry the blow, knocking both men backward.

Seeing his opponent left wide open, Ryu tried to follow up with an elbow strike directed at the man's stomach, but the American managed to completely dodge the maneuver.

_"If he was strong enough to be one of three men to bring down an entire gang, then I know he will be no pushover," _Ryu reminded himself as the man charged towards him with his foot extended.

"RUFFIAN KICK," Cody announced as he seemingly glided towards his Japanese opponent with his foot directed at the kneeling man's face, only to have it blocked by the man's muscular arms. Leaving himself opened for another attack, he had no time to react as Ryu kicked his leg out and swept him from his feet.

Ryu watched as Cody rolled away from him, with a grace he hadn't expected from what he believed to be an unpolished brawler. He also didn't expect what was to follow as the American brawler swiped a handful of stones up from the ground and tossed them at him.

The martial artist easily blocked the rocks when he crossed his arms in front of him, but would now find himself left open as Cody launched himself into the air and caught his prey with a flying kick in the middle of his opponent's chest.

Ryu was knocked back by the force of the attack and kipped back up to his feet, only to be met by a flurry of punches and again knocked onto his back by a spinning turn kick Cody called the "Crack Kick." The blow was powerful and he swore he could feel his chest bruising right away, yet he had to keep soldiering forth.

This match wasn't being fought for any particular rewards at the end, but both fighters still took it seriously and wanted to give their best, wanting to show they were worthy of the title "warrior."

Out of desperation, Ryu leapt towards his opponent and performed a Whirlwind Kick, knocking the American back long enough for him to follow up with his first special attack of the contest.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU," the Ansatsuken expert shouted as he propelled himself into the air and spun around like a helicopter with his right leg extended, netting several hits on his opponent and sending him back down to the ground. Before Ryu could completely lower himself to the ground, he was blinded by a handful of sand.

"You said you wanted me to hold nothing back…well here it is!" Cody said pushing himself back to his feet after temporarily stunning his opponent, following up with an uppercut that created a miniature tornado.

"CRIMINAL UPPER!!!"

A barrage of blows rained down upon Ryu and he could feel the warm blood trickle freely from a fresh cut on his lower lip, followed by Cody sending him airborne with a somersault kick.

"There's more where that came from!" Cody shouted as he rushed towards the downed martial artist, only to be blindsided by a desperate fierce uppercut to the chin, snapping his head back and causing him to stagger.

"And there's more where that came from too," Ryu replied before launching himself into the air with his fist extended.

"SHORYUKEN!!!"

The legendary Dragon Punch was unleashed for the first time in the contest, the very move that had ended many contests for the Ansatsuken practitioner in the past; including helping fall the legendary Emperor of Muay Thai, Sagat.

Ryu stood quietly as he noticed the American's prone form on the rocky surface, yet maintained a defensive stance in case the man showed signs of life. He underestimated no one in the past and wasn't about to start now.

Surely enough, a weak groan emanated from Cody's battered form and the brawler forced himself to his knees and somehow back to his feet, wobbling in place as the imaginary stars circled around his head and it took a literal slap from his own hand to snap him back to his senses.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy," the American muttered to himself as he scooped up another handful of rocks and tossed them towards his opponent.

Again, Ryu saw the projectiles coming from a mile away and instead of trying to block, cupped his hands together.

Breathing deeply, the warrior channeled his chi into his palms and thrust them forward, a cerulean orb launching from his hands.

"HADOKEN!!!"

The fireball vaporized the rocks into dust and sailed unimpeded towards Cody, who barely dodged to the side before it could connect with his torso, singing some of its fabric.

Sweat poured freely from the American brawler's forehead and his breathing hastened, indicating he was starting to become desperate. Perhaps he was close to having used up everything in his bag of tricks and Ryu could sense the man was forcing himself to think up something spur of the moment.

Ryu remained silent as he waited for his opponent. It was a display of his renowned humility and honor, whereas most other challengers would have taken the time to relentlessly taunt their adversary and throw them off guard. It was his duty to always give his opponent's a fair fight, a principle Master Gouken had instilled deeply within him since day one.

"Hold nothing back," were his only words as he sensed the spirit within his opponent. Even if he were on the verge of victory, he still expected his opponent to give it their all until the end. "You gave me your word."

The words had an effect on the cornered brawler and he let out a mighty battle cry. Instilled with newfound bravado, Cody made another head on charge towards his opponent, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks that ended with an explosive punch.

Despite blocking the attack, the explosion temporarily blinded Ryu, leaving him open to be grabbed and have numerous knee strikes delivered to his face before being flung over the larger man's shoulder and landing hard on his back. He had no time to writhe in pain as Cody then attempted to strike him while he was down, driving his fist downward.

Ryu rolled to the side and a small crater was left in the ground where his head once rested. He staggered back to his feet and looked over to find Cody clutching his sore fist and took advantage of the situation, dodging an attempted shoulder tackle from the American fighter, only to drive his fist downward in an overhead strike directed at the man's collarbone.

Cody grunted aloud as the blow connected and sunk to a knee, clutching the sore area and spitting out a string of curses.

Ryu stared at the fallen man, yet kept his guard up. He didn't show it, but he felt concerned for his opponent after remembering what he said earlier.

"You seem hurt my friend, do you wish to end this fight?" he asked.

The grunts of pain suddenly turned to a hearty chuckle from the American as he rose back to his feet.

"It's gonna take more than that to put me down," Cody said forcing his eyes open, the fire of battle still burning deeply within them. "I'll go for as long as you want me and keep going until the fat lady sings…but not right now!"

Ryu only nodded in acknowledgment as he waited for the man to return to his feet, "Very well."

Cody lunged at his opponent, delivering a high kick directed at the Japanese warrior's face, who promptly blocked the attack. Seeing the move didn't connect, he went low and attempted a sliding kick, which his opponent gracefully flipped over.

_"Despite his lack of discipline, he fights with the heart of a lion," _Ryu observed before blocking a hard punch directed at his face, _"If only he could continue to use such ability with a purpose."_

The martial artist attempted a jutting kick at the American's stomach, which he once again dodged.

_"Time to try something new," _Ryu told himself and thrust his arms forward, prompting his opponent to attempt another dodge, only this time nothing came out. With Cody again caught off guard, the Ansatsuken fighter thrust his left leg out, a move he called the "Joudan Sokutou Geri," or "High Blade Leg Kick" in English.

Cody staggered back holding his chin, a bruise forming within seconds.

"Cute, real cute!" he sarcastically spat before attempting another Criminal Uppercut upon his opponent, which Ryu would leap backward to avoid.

"SHAKUNETSU HADOKEN," Ryu cried as he launched another projectile towards his opponent, this one blazing red rather than the blue of his normal fireball.

Cody attempted to dodge, but the physical toll of the challenge slowed him down, allowing him to be caught and set ablaze. Fortunately, the flames didn't burn long and dissipated within seconds, leaving his clothes with a few blackened splotches.

"Real cute once again buddy, but now let this be your…FINAL DESTRUCTION!!!" Cody declared, unleashing a flurry of hard-hitting punches upon the Japanese martial artist.

Ryu had managed to block or dodge most of the early strikes, but in the end it was a punch to his stomach that knocked the wind out of him and left him open for the remaining flurry. He was sent flying and hit the ground hard, but would not be deterred that easily.

_"Time to end this," _he said to himself as he slowed his breathing and let the chi course through his veins. Energy soon crackled around his fists and the wind began to pick up around him as the power grew within. It was a move he had executed hundreds of times before and once again it was time to unleash the fury.

"SHINKUU HADOKEN!!!"

Thrusting his arms outward, a ball of energy twice the size of a regular fireball shot out from his palms.

Unfortunately for Cody Travers, by the time he noticed the mammoth projectile it had been too late and he was struck head on.

The American brawler could only cry out in pain as he was struck with a force equaled to that of a freight train and sent flying through the air, striking the rocky ground beneath him with enough force to temporarily knock him out.

Ryu exhaled deeply and collapsed to his knees, sore and winded after a hard fought victory. It was not considered an "official" fight by any means as nothing was wagered, more so a sparring match. Still, he did what he could to analyze his small triumph.

_"He was a 'street fighter' in the most literal sense of the term, yet he possessed strength, determination and resilience that served him well. Indeed he pulled off a few moves that caught me by surprise, yet at the same time he relied too much upon his dirty tricks to get by."_

Slowly rising back to his feet, the Japanese warrior dusted off his gi and walked over to his defeated opponent's prone figure. Kneeling beside the fallen competitor he was about to reach out and feel for a pulse on the man's neck when a groan suddenly escaped his lips.

"Man…what…gives?" Cody weakly grunted as he tried lifting his head, only to wince in pain. With some additional effort, he rolled over onto his back and finally managed to place his hands to his head and massage his throbbing temples.

"The fight is over," Ryu replied.

A labored scoff escaped from Cody's mouth, "I take it…I didn't win then?"

"Victory is not important in this matter, but rather what you learned from the battle and what you can do to improve upon it next time," Ryu calmly explained.

"Don't you ever say anything else besides that philosophical mumbo jumbo?" the defeated brawler asked as he finally rolled over onto his side.

"It is more than 'mumbo jumbo' my friend," Ryu continued as he reached his hand down to help the American back to his feet. "You would greatly benefit to learn from the lessons of warriors from different disciplines. After all, victory is nothing without skill."

"Yep, starting to sound more and more like Guy…" Cody said before spitting some phlegm out of his mouth, much to Ryu's disgust.

"Your friend is a good man Cody and in regards to anything that may have happened in both of your pasts, I'm sure he had only the greatest intentions in mind," the Ansatsuken warrior explained before he dare release the man from his grasp, allowing him to stand on his own two feet.

"Now that's none of your business right there…" the American snapped, staggering about like he was drunk until he was able to brace himself against the nearby tree and take a few deep breaths.

"It may be none of my business, but I do share his personal concern for your well-being," Ryu continued.

"Since when did you become my mother?" Cody sardonically retorted, "Man, for a big philosophical type, you sure are a stubborn bastard."

Ryu ignored the comments and continued with his plea, "All I ask is that you think of why you fight Cody. There has to be a purpose behind why you fight. I know you have probably heard the stories of me being a 'fighter without a cause,' but that is far from the truth."

Cody's head perked up and he stared dumbfounded at the victor.

"I fight for improvement and enlightenment," the martial artist explained, staring down to his gloved hands, "Every fight I enter, I seek to learn whatever I can from the contest through analyzing all the elements present. From there, I vow to improve in whichever ways I am able to, so that it will help me in my future battles."

Ryu then stopped briefly to stare out towards the ocean beneath the rising sun, "And with it, the answers to my destiny."

"Wow, that sounds pretty deep," Cody replied staring out towards the ocean, for once pondering what awaited him from beyond.

"There is so much more to the fight than just an adrenaline rush, something that can lead to redemption," Ryu said looking towards the street fighter.

Cody said nothing and continued to stare off into the distance, perhaps beginning to think to himself for once about everything he had been through.

"There is still time for you Cody; you are not yet too far gone."

Sighing deeply, the American finally turned to face him, "Maybe."

"Take my words to heart and hope you can learn to apply them in your future," Ryu spoke as both men made their way for their travel bags.

"I will and thanks," Cody weakly muttered, looking off towards the trail in the distance before returning to Ryu and extending his hand.

"You fought well. I was honored," the Ansatsuken warrior replied, returning the handshake.

He watched as the American street fighter made his way down the earthen trail up until the man disappeared from sight.

Sighing deeply, he returned his attention to nearby Suzaku Castle and thought to himself why else he had returned.

"It's been far too long since I've last been here," Ryu muttered quietly to himself as he made his way along the narrow trail which led to the ancient wooden structure.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: This is the Metal Harbinger's latest offering to the world of Street Fighter fiction, other than that, you may remember me for "Street Fighter: The Chosen Ones" and "The Phenomenal Phoenix," or you may not seeing as how I've updated neither in a long ass time!

I've also got another forthcoming fic planned regarding my own take on a Street Fighter tournament that would feature a mixture of both new and old characters, similar to the discontinued "Street Fighter 4: The New Challenge," which coincidentally came out YEARS before the actual Street Fighter 4!

For the longest time though, I've wanted to do a fic focusing largely around the already existing Street Fighters, similar to "Legends of the Streets," a fic by Jes which was one of the fics that wanted me to get into writing fan-fiction in the first place.

The recent announcement of Super Street Fighter 4, an updated version of SF4, has been kind of giving me the kick in the creative ass that I need to get this off the ground and hopefully it can help with my others as well.

So until then, please be kind and read and review this story, any flames will result in me personally tracking you down and launching a Hadoken right into your face!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	2. Rivalries Remain

The World Warrior's Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Chapter 2: Rivalries Remain

_San Francisco, CA U.S.A._

The anxious crowd was going wild in the abandoned theater, which had since been converted into a fighting arena where illegal underground street fights were held.

The atmosphere was still red hot after a night of nonstop action and now it was time for the main event.

In the center of the arena was the ring itself, an old wrestling ring with frayed ropes and a mat covered in dried bloodstains, a testament to the multitude of battles that had been previously fought within its confines.

A sleazy-looking individual with his hair worn in a large afro stood in the center of the ring, dressed like a stereotypical pimp with his shades outlined by flashing lights, bright red suit and numerous golden rings and necklaces. A microphone was in his left hand and he waited for the crowd to die down before speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived…our main event!"

The crowd once again went wild and again the announcer waited patiently for them to express themselves before resuming his introductions.

"This is the moment you've all been waiting for and now let's meet our contestants!"

A catchy hip-hop tune began playing over the loudspeakers and a spotlight shone upon a curtained entranceway at the left side of the building.

"About to make his way to the ring, from Harlem, New York…he is the originator of the hippest new fighting style making waves today, "Breakung-Fu," ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for…KING…COOOOOOOOBBBBBRRRRAAAAA!!!!!!"

A bald, slender African-American male clad in a black karate gi made his way to the ring. In addition to his gi, he also wore gold fighting gloves, a gold belt and gold necklace around his neck, and athletic sneakers.

A small number of fans cheered for the martial artist and he played to them by spinning around and executing a moonwalk midway down the aisle. Once he was within a few feet from the ring, he performed a graceful back flip onto the ring apron and then leapt over the ropes, tucking and rolling into the ring until he reached the center, where he then stopped and began showing off some of his moves to the crowd, arousing a few more cheers.

The hip-hop music suddenly stopped and was replaced by a fast-paced, high-energy rock tune, causing the fans to suddenly go wild.

"And his opponent, from right here in the great city of San Francisco, California…he is the former U.S. Martial Arts champion, as well as a world-renowned street fighter, actor and playboy…ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm hometown welcome to the one and only…KEN…MASSSSTEEERRRRSSSS!!!!!!"

A thunderous roar came from the crowd as the famed street fighter Ken Masters made his way down the ring, clad in his iconic bright red karate gi, black belt and dark brown fighting gloves. His blond hair fell to the bottom of his neck and his blue eyes gave him an "all-American" appearance in contrast to his mixed Eurasian ancestry.

Making his way to the ring, he took the time to high-five a few of his fans in attempts and stopped to pose for any fans that had been fortunate enough to bring their cameras along with them. Pumped up from the adulation he had received, he made his way to the ring, hopped up onto the apron and flipped himself over the top rope.

He shouted triumphantly to his fans and spun around to find King Cobra waiting patiently in the center of the ring, having already gotten into his fighting stance.

"I hope you brought your 'A game' Masters, 'cause I'm gonna school ya' in ways you've never imagined," King Cobra declared, throwing a few practice jabs as he waited for his opponent.

"I always do and you're right, class is about to start and it's going to be you having to take notes when all is said and done!" Ken shouted back before getting into his fighting stance.

"Bring it!" King Cobra shouted as the bell rang.

The crowd began going wild as both fighters circled each other, waiting eagerly to see who would make the first move.

Cobra quickly went low and spun both his legs, using his hands to hold him up and spinning around like a Capoeira fighter.

Ken leapt backward to avoid the maneuver, but then rolled forward to catch his opponent off guard as he recovered. However, Cobra had been quickly than expected and performed a graceful corkscrew flip over him and then attempted a roundhouse kick as Ken rose back to his feet, leaving him barely enough room to block the attack.

Having blocked the attack high, it left an opening for Cobra to deliver a high knee attack to his opponent's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. With Ken buckled over from the attack, he followed up with a scissors kick that knocked him face down to the mat.

King Cobra had already proven to be a relentless adversary, following up with a forward flipping leg drop onto Ken's back, forcing him to cry out in pain. He followed up with a submission hold he called the "Cobra Strangle," in which he wrapped his legs around his opponent's throat.

"Your ass is mine now chump!" the black-clad fighter shouted as he released the hold and flipped himself against the ropes, only to be cut off by a backward roundabout kick to his stomach while he was on his hands.

"Not tonight!" Ken grunted in reply as he staggered backwards, the crowd going wild at his sudden recovery and began chanting his name to pump him up.

Cobra struggled back to his feet and barely brought his arms up in time to block a heel kick directed at his head. Knocked backwards by the blow, Ken took advantage and grabbed the man, falling backwards with his leg extended and spinning both of them like a wheel in a move he called the "Hell Spin," much to the delight of his fans, who continued to chant his name.

King Cobra shook off the pain and used the ropes to pull himself back to his feet. He was now getting visibly frustrated and charged towards his opponent in a blind fury, attempting a combo of high angle spinning kicks, all of which were either blocked or dodged by his opponent, until Ken got his fist up to parry the last blow and knocked him backward.

"HADOKEN!!!"

Ken launched a neon blue basketball-sized projectile at his opponent and sent the man reeling backward against the ropes, following up with a flying kick that knocked the man flat onto his back as he stumbled forward.

"_Time to finish this joker off," _Ken told himself as King Cobra persistently staggered back to his feet. He waited for the man to get within range before going for his next move.

"SHORYUKEN!!!"

The playboy martial artist launched himself into the air with superhuman speed, the full force of the blow catching his opponent beneath the chin and sending him airborne. It was an awe-inspiring move that prompted main "oohs" and "ahs" from the crowd, followed by the blinding flashes of cameras. Ken landed gracefully on his feet, as Cobra struck the ring with a dull thud.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your winner…KEN MASTERS," the announcer proudly proclaimed.

The crowd exploded with delight as Ken proudly displayed his trademark victory hand signal, basking in the adulation of his passionate fanbase.

"Not so fast!!!" a gruff voice called out, silencing all fans in attendance.

All eyes suddenly turned to the curtained entrance where King Cobra had initially emerged from.

Stepping out from behind the curtain, and almost ripping it down with him as he made his way through, came a tall, grotesquely overweight man with a long braided ponytail wagging limply from the top of his head and a prominent mustache, which at the moment was filled miscellaneous crumbs and damp from recently consumed sodas. His clothing consisted of a yellow and black sleeveless jumpsuit with padded shoulders, which couldn't be zipped up all the way due to his bulbous gut and exposed the world to his unsightly lower abdominal hair. Black gloves and black shoes barely covered his meaty hands and feet respectively.

"Alrighty there, this night ain't gonna be over 'til the so-called 'mighty' Ken Masters has once again fallen before the might of the one and only Rufus, the mightiest warrior in all of America!" the obese man proudly proclaimed as he made his way down the aisle, his large gut grossly swaying back and forth with every step he took.

"Uh, are you going to eat that?" he asked as he spotted a large bucket of popcorn midway. Before the spectator could even answer, he had already swiped the bucket out of his hands and continued his walk.

"Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, the mighty Ken Masters is set to fall before the awesome might of Rufus!" the man continued to ramble, spitting out bits of cornels with every word, much to the disgust of those around him.

"_Oh my god, not this loser again," _Ken thought to himself, shaking his head in disbelief as Rufus continued his nonstop rant down the aisle. _"You'd think he would've gotten the message when I kicked his ass last year…"_

"…but yeah, I promised my girlfriend Candy I was going to kick this Ken Masters fellow's butt and then afterwards we were going to go on a vacation to the Bahamas to celebrate my hard fought victory. Oh boy, it's going to be so awesome! Maybe I'll be able to buy her a house on the beach like she's always wanted…" Rufus continued to shout to random fans as he finally reached the ring.

He struggled against his own girth as he tried to pull himself onto the apron, only to stumble repeatedly before he managed to get a steady grip and pull himself upward, a miracle the frayed ropes were able to hold under his massive weight. When he finally did get a leg over, the ropes became tangled and he literally fell head over heels to get inside.

Everybody, including Ken, was laughing their asses off at the spectacle as the overweight man pushed himself back to his feet and made his way over to the still unconscious King Cobra.

"Alright Ken Masters, now you're going to know what it's like to taste the foul nectar of defeat!" he shouted towards the fallen man, who now began to stir at the infernal racket as Rufus hopped up and down next to him.

"I'm…not…Ken…Masters…" King Cobra weakly replied.

"Yeah of course you are buddy, don't lie to me!" Rufus roared, "I'd know that karate gi and those fancy gloves anywhere! Not even all that intense tanning is going to fool me! You hear me?"

Ken stood off to the side sighing as he shook his head and rubbed his forehead. _"Okay, this has been somewhat entertaining and everything, but now I'd better step in before some guy files a lawsuit against me for mistaken identity."_

"Uh excuse me, I'm over here!" the real Ken said waving both hands, "I'm right here if you want me so bad!"

"Ha!" Rufus shouted, leaping around with his hands raised and assuming his fighting stance, "I knew that tip wasn't a sham, I knew I'd find ya' here after all Ken Masters! You cannot hide from the mighty Rufus!"

"Now just how could I hide from some blimp like you? I mean, you obviously can float can't you?" Ken joked, rousing plenty of laughs from the spectators in attendance.

"Why you, little…" Rufus shouted, getting red in the face, "…I'm gonna teach you not to disrespect your superiors! My girlfriend Candy says I have an amazing body and I'm gonna snap your puny body in half like the twig it is…and then glue you back together and do it again…and then I'll do it again!"

"Yeah, sure…" Ken chuckled while adjusting his gloves.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have an impromptu match on our hands…" the announcer spoke over the microphone and then looked over to Rufus, "What's your name, sir?"

Again Rufus grunted in frustration, "My name is Rufus! The mighty Lord Rufus! I am a legend in both the biking world and the martial arts world! Pretty soon, people are going to start building all sorts of martial arts dojos and statues in my honor! I tell you, I'm going to be bigger than…"

"Bigger than what?" Ken asked, "You're already bigger than this ring!" he shouted to more laughs from the crowd.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this next bout will be between Ken Masters and Rufus!" the announcer called out.

"You got my name wrong, it's the mighty Lord Rufus! Not to mention my name should come first, I'm the mighty Lord Ruf-"

The announcer quickly motioned for the timekeeper to ring the bell before Rufus could go on another long-winded rant.

Ken quickly leapt out of the way as Rufus came sailing towards him, forgetting how fast the man had moved for his size. He barely had time to dodge a series of rapid fire palm strikes directed at all levels of his body and finally had to roll backwards to avoid a palm thrust.

"HADOKEN," Ken cried as he launched a fireball at the bigger man, now remembering how he had a tough time at longer range.

Yet Rufus had seen the projectile coming and quickly leapt over it, attempting a flying kick that Ken again rolled underneath and tried to follow up with another Dragon Punch.

"SHORYUKEN," Ken announced as he launched into the air with his fist extended, only to be cut off as Rufus launched into the air with his own attack.

"MESSIAH," Rufus called out as he performed a back flip kick with amazing grace and agility for a man of his size, something the spectators hadn't anticipated. Still, they remained firmly behind their hero and groaned in anguish as he was knocked to the canvas by the blow.

"_I forgot how hard this guy hits too," _Ken grunted as he forced himself back to his feet. Already Rufus was charging towards him, but he halted the bigger man's advance with a backward roundabout kick that caught him square in the gut, bouncing it around in several different directions. He quickly followed up with a high roundhouse kick and ducked low with a sweeping kick that knocked the man from his feet and caused the ring to shake beneath them.

"The bigger we are…the faster we get up stick boy!" Rufus chuckled as he kipped back to his feet and then proceeded to spin his body like a tornado.

"GALACTIC TORNADO," the big man shouted as he spun his body and ended with a straight punch that knocked Ken back to the mat.

"Not going down that easily," Ken hissed as he propelled himself into the air for another attack.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU," the martial arts champion shouted as he leapt into the air with his foot extended and spun around several times, landing a multitude of hits upon his corpulent challenger.

"Ha ha, that tickles little man!" Rufus laughed as he bounced off the ropes and attempted another special attack, one where he leapt into the air and attempted a heel kick midway through.

Again, Ken went for another Dragon Punch and this time connected, his fist surrounded by flames and igniting his opponent. The bigger man was launched even farther into the air and came back to earth like one large meteorite, crashing through the ring's surface as he landed.

When there were no signs of life from the smoking hole, the outcome was obvious.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your winner…KEN MASTERS!!!" the announcer again triumphantly proclaimed.

Once again the crowd went wild as their hero had again emerged victorious.

"_I'd better get outta here before some other yahoo tries to challenge me. I don't think Eliza will take to kindly to me coming home in a body cast," _Ken thought to himself as he exited the ring, again stopping to high-five a few fans on his way out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_He's still got it after all these years, will be nice for when we finally have our rematch," _a red-haired man with prominent sideburns observed from the crowd, applauding Ken's successive victories over both opponents.

The man was Allen Snider, another martial artist and former U.S. Martial Arts champion, who was once considered to have been the best fighter in all of America at one point in time himself, until he was defeated by Ken.

Initially angry over his loss, he eventually came to terms with his circumstances and decided to follow Ken's advice that he should try to seek stronger opponents and expand upon his skills, or risk forever being a "big fish in a small pond."

He had heard Ken was in the area and hoped to visit with his old friend and rival to catch up and hopefully have their long awaited rematch.

"Guess I'll have to wait until-" Allen was muttering to himself when he was suddenly cut off by a red and black blur that nearly knocked him from his feet.

"Huh? What the hell?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ken made his way back to the dressing room area, where several other fighters and arena workers were on hand to congratulate him over both of his hard fought victories.

Making his way back to his personal locker room, he was quick to shower and change his clothes before gathering his belongings and ready to take off when he was walking through the corridor towards the back parking lot.

"Um…excuse me…M-M-Mister!" a youthful voice suddenly called out from behind.

Quickly whirling around, the martial artist turned to find a dark-skinned boy in his early teens standing before him, clad in a Brazilian soccer jersey and khaki pants.

Ken carefully eyed him up and down before speaking, "How did you get back here kid?" he asked suspiciously. His tone suddenly changed to his usual confident timbre, "Ah, you must be looking for an autograph I take it? Well sorry kid, I'm in a hurry and don't have a pen on me."

"N-N-No sir…" the boy stuttered before jamming his hands into his pockets and rocking up and down on his heels while staring at the floor. "M-My name is Sean and I wanna be just like you!"

Again Ken smiled broadly while giving a thumbs up, "Thanks kid, I get that a lot. Well if you stay in school, exercise and eat all your vegetables, I'm sure that will be plenty possible. Now if you'll excuse me, I…" he said turning on his heel.

"No, Mr. Masters, seriously," Sean said reaching for him, only to stop when the martial artist again turned around, "I really want to be just like you and I want you to train me!"

Ken was stopped dead in his tracks and eyed the boy warily, "Excuse me?"

"Yes Mr. Masters, I want you to train me to be a fighter! You're the greatest and I'll do anything to have you teach me!" Sean continued, now sinking to his knees with his hands clasped, literally pleading for an opportunity.

"Look kid, I'm flattered by your offer and everything, but I'm too busy for a student right now. I mean, I've got a wife and kid now, I'm training to take over my family's business, I've-"

"Ken Masters!" a woman's voice suddenly shouted, one filled with an incomparable fury that made the Ansatsuken fighter nearly hit the ceiling as he jumped.

Slowly turning around, he was met by a beautiful woman with long flowing locks, sapphire blue eyes, a delicately-shaped face and amazing figure for a woman now in her early thirties. At the moment though, her beautiful features were corrupted by an angry scowl and her upper lip twisted into a near snarl.

"Oh…hey Eliza…," Ken timidly squeaked, his cheeks turning the brightest shade of red they could manage, "…I was just getting acquainted with one of my fans!" he said wrapping his arm around Sean's shoulders and pulling him close while laughing nervously.

"I saw what happened out there, don't you dare lie to me!" she snapped with the fury of an angry lioness, "You promised me that once we were married you would give up participating in tournaments!"

"Only as long as Ryu was participating…" Ken blurted out inadvertently.

"But he's not here," she said walking over to her husband and placing her hands on his shoulders, "Think about it Ken, you've got everything you've ever wanted now. Do you want your own son to become an orphan and never get to know his daddy? That's what's going to happen if you keep this up."

"I know, I know," Ken said looking away in shame, "But I can't help it. I miss the thrill of the fight."

Eliza's gaze softened upon her husband's reaction and she embraced him warmly, "I know Ken, but I love you and I don't want to see anything happen to you, especially after all those encounters with those bad people you've had in the past."

Ken's thoughts darkened as he remembered the villains she spoke of and how he had nearly lost his life on more than one occasion while locked in combat against them.

He then thought of Eliza and his now year old son Mel, how he knew it would destroy them if something ever happened to him. For now, he couldn't allow something like that to happen.

"Alright honey, let's get going," he said leading Eliza along and then turned to look over his shoulder at Sean, who was giving him the big puppy dog eyes nobody could resist.

"Oh alright," he sighed looking back towards the youth, "we can discuss things over dinner about you possibly becoming my student."

"Yahoo!" Sean triumphantly shouted, leaping into the air with his fist raised, very similarly to another martial artist Ken knew named Dan Hibiki.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Oni Fang Cave, on an island off the coast of Japan_

A figure sat cross-legged before a makeshift altar in deep meditation, remembering his past battles and those who had escaped his grasp in the past.

"_Ryu, you truly were a fool to refuse your ultimate power. Gouken, my brother, you were even more foolish to interfere in our personal business," _the man thought to himself as he opened his glowing red eyes and stared through one of the crevices to early evening sky outside.

The man was under six feet tall with fiery red hair that matched his eyes, long enough to be worn with a top ponytail. He also had bronzed skin that almost resembled that of a burn victim and bushy black eyebrows and sharp, fang-like teeth that made him look more demonic than human.

A pitch black karate gi covered his muscular form and with it, he wore a set of mahogany prayer beads around his neck, a frayed rope tied around his waist, ancient sandals on his already calloused feet, and a pair of dark brown fighting gloves.

"Within due time, I will have my revenge," the man declared as a glowing blood red symbol suddenly materialized on his back, the kanji "Ama," which could mean "sky," "heaven" or "providence."

The entity was Akuma, formerly known as Gouki, brother and enemy to Gouken, as well as his successor Ryu.

Long ago he had sacrificed his own humanity for the sake of attaining ultimate power and sought out strong warriors for a "perfect match."

So far, the only warriors who had been capable of matching up to him were Gouken, Ryu and the Chinese assassin Gen, all of whom were well versed in the Ansatsuken martial art.

Nobody else though, could give him the kind of fight he wanted, not even that pitiful tyrant Bison.

Turning his attention away from the altar, the demonic warrior turned his attention to a shadowy corner of the cave, where another individual sat in deep meditation. Sensing Akuma's gaze, the obscured individual opened its eyes to reveal the same burning embers similar to those of the dark Ansatsuken master's.

"Soon my apprentice, your time will come. Mark my words, your time will come."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes: Alright folks, before I go any further, I just wanted to give a very special thanks to both Vammy and Speed Reader for giving me my first reviews of this story, and more importantly, on the first day I had this thing posted! Once again, a special thanks to both of you.

As I'm sitting here updating this, I've also read a review from Somniyo and I also thank you for your review and feel glad I was able to make you think of Warbringer, a KICK ASS band!

Now for my additional notes:

Canonically, this story will take place in the year 1996, one year after the events of Street Fighter IV. Since Ken's son Mel is 3 years old by the time of Street Fighter III, which technically takes place in the year 1998 according to canon guides, naturally I'd assume that this would make him only a year old in 1996. If anybody else knows anything different, feel free to float me the info!

As for King Cobra, he is not really an original character on my part.

According to what I read on , King Cobra was intended to be the original design for Rufus, a bald, slender African-American martial artist who utilized his own martial arts style called "Breakung-Fu" which incorporated Kung Fu with break dancing. As proof, here is a link to copy and paste to an image:

.

Why his design never made it to the final finished product? I personally assume some designers probably thought he looked too much like Sean or Akuma, anyways, anybody who has played Street Fighter IV will see that his outfit eventually goes on to become Ken's alternate costume in the game.

To tell the truth, I have not yet played SF4, but know of this stuff thanks to the internet and video game magazines. I'm waiting for March when Super Street Fighter IV comes out, which I know at this point will also have T. Hawk, Dee Jay and a newcomer named Juri added to the mix, along with 5 additional, as of yet unnamed competitors.

Believe me; my mind had a mini orgasm when I first read they were updating SF4…not that any of you probably needed to know that, but at least it saves me from going out and buying the regular SF4, only to have me wanting to take it back months later when the new and improved version comes out!

According to what I read on the Street Fighter Wikia, the meaning of Akuma's kanji on his back means "Ama," or "sky," "heaven" or "providence" as opposed to "Ten." Then again, this has been a universally debated issue in the Street Fighter universe and I'm not attempting to ruffle any feathers, this is just based solely on what I've read!

Also, the scene with Sean executing a victory pose that reminded Ken of Dan Hibiki is intended to be an inside joke seeing as Sean hates Dan.

Well I believe that's all I have for my rants and raves so until then, I thank all who have been kind enough to read and review and ask that you please do so again!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	3. Reflections

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: It's been a while since I've updated this story I know, but I've been finding myself sidetracked a lot lately, obviously with the recent holidays just having come and gone and I've also been trying to get my head back into the game when it comes to working on my Resident Evil fic "Darkness Arises" and I've also been distracted by my "Grand Theft Auto: Capitol City" fic as well.

Well now I make my return and before I go any further, I want to give a special thanks to both Vammy and MiggyMeista for their reviews of my last chapter.

Not having actually played Street Fighter 4 in its entirety yet, I felt proud of myself for being able to characterize Rufus the way I have, which I mainly accomplished through reading his victory quotes on a document over on and used to help craft him into the mindset I would expect of him, being loud and long-winded that is.

One reason I've obviously been stalling is because I've been waiting for Super Street Fighter 4 to come out, which I last heard was scheduled to be released in late March. I'm always visiting the Street Fighter Wikia site and I get more and more excited with every new ounce of information I learn about it. I'm uber-psyched knowing that Cody and Guy from Final Fight are going to be in it, as well as Adon, who I'm honestly not the biggest fan of, but yet find myself happy to see him coming back into action, not to forget Dee Jay and T. Hawk, as well as the newcomer Juri, whom I'm psyched to see being that she is a Tae Kwon Do fighter and everything. It was also badass to hear that Dudley, Makoto and Ibuki will possibly be appearing as well, along with some new guy called Hakkan.

I also wanted to take the time to give a very special thanks to General of Lylat for adding this story to your Favorites list, as well as my "Street Fighter: The Chosen Ones" fic too.

Well okay I've rambled on long enough now let's get this story started!!!

Chapter 3: Reflections

_9 Years Ago_

Lightning cracked the nighttime sky above and the rumble of thunder was soon to follow, enough to almost deafen anybody who dared to venture into the remote grasslands of the Australian outback on that cold, stormy night.

"TIGER!!!"

A fiery orange, boomerang-like projectile shot through the nighttime air and collided with its intended target, sending the man flying backwards like a rag doll and skidding across the grassy surface as he hit the ground.

"Is this all you have to offer me? I've heard about your supposed abilities and watched how you tore through all of those other competitors, but now that I've finally met you face to face, I'm beginning to find myself disappointed…almost as if I were lied to," the fighter who delivered the attack spoke.

The man was menacingly tall, seven feet four inches in height to be exact, and was a literal mountain of muscle with hands that looked massive enough to close around the head of an average-sized man. He was completely bald and wore a black eye patch over his right eye, which so far had no detrimental effects on his abilities as a fighter. For clothing, he was dressed like a traditional kickboxer, wearing nothing but a pair of purple trunks with yellow trim and had both his hands and feet heavily taped up.

He was none other than Sagat, a legendary fighter known as the Emperor of Muay Thai and revered as a national hero in his native Thailand.

"I expected more out of you, young one," he spoke down to his grounded opponent.

His much smaller opponent staggered back to his feet and wiped the dirt away from his face. He was a younger man in his early twenties with short black hair that was heavily matted down by sweat and wearing the typical white karate gi that was currently caked from top to bottom with dried mud and had numerous green grass stains dotting its surface, as well as fresh blood from the recent blows he had just received.

"This can't be the mighty Ryu I've heard so much about. Leave my sight at once and I may spare you for having wasted my time," Sagat said crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"No…this fight is far from over Sagat!" the young martial artist bravely declared, "I didn't come all this way for nothing. I'm just getting started."

With those words, Ryu kicked off his red slippers, adjusted his red fighting gloves and then tightened his white headband.

"Very well then," Sagat said resuming his fighting stance, "You will regret not having retreated when given the opportunity."

"I never run from a battle," Ryu replied and buried his feet firmly into the ground before channeling his chi and launching his arms forward.

"HADOKEN!!!" he cried, launching a bright, burning blue projectile towards his towering opponent.

Despite his size, the Muay Thai fighter was deceptively quick and agile, easily leaping over the projectile and extending his long-reaching leg, which Ryu would roll underneath to avoid. Kipping back up to his feet, the Ansatsuken warrior would launch himself at his opponent, performing a whirlwind kick that finally caught the big man by surprise.

With Sagat still stunned from the surprise attack, Ryu managed to capitalize, delivering a flying kick that caught the Thai fighter square in the chest, followed by ducking low to deliver some low kicks to the man's tree trunk-like legs and then ascending into a super combo.

"SHINKUU TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!!!" the Japanese fighter shouted as he rose into the air with his leg extended, delivering a series of repeated kicks to the champion Street Fighter's face and chest.

For the first time in the contest, Sagat was knocked from his feet, but recovered much faster than any ordinary fighter would have after taking such a powerful attack. It had shocked him greatly, yet he hid his surprise well as he rose back to his feet and wiped the blood away from a fresh cut that had formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Impressive I will admit, but it's going to take more than that to best me," Sagat grunted.

With a mighty roar, both men rushed toward one another and delivered a series of powerful blows directed at each other. Punches, kicks, elbows and knee attacks were thrown by both competitors, all of which were either blocked, dodged or parried by their opponent, but in the end Sagat had found enough space to deliver an attack of his own.

"TIGER CRUSH," Sagat announced as he launched himself towards his smaller opponent, delivering a bone-shattering knee strike that sent Ryu airborne and again back to the earth with a sickly thud.

Ryu could only gurgle as blood dribbled freely from his mouth and he struggled to his knees, having to use every ounce of strength he could. It hurt just to breathe and he could feel his own muscles fighting against him, stretching under every movement he made. Before he could even attempt to rise back to his feet, he felt a massive hand clamping down onto his skull and lifting him high into the air.

Unable to look down due to the angle at which he was held, all he had to do was listen to Sagat's malicious laughter to know something bad was about to come.

"Now it ends!" the Emperor of Muay Thai proclaimed as he proceeded to drive his knee repeatedly into his young opponent's face before tossing him effortlessly to the ground.

Feeling he had attained yet another victory, Sagat crossed his arms over his chest and began laughing loudly, his hearty laughter roaring throughout the countryside and even above the roar of thunder in the distance.

Just as he was finishing his victory celebration, a pain groaned sounded from behind him.

"What?" he asked aloud as he looked back to the matted down patch of tall grass.

Somehow having gained a second wind after the massive beating he had just taken, Ryu had managed to push himself back to his feet and wobbled about drunkenly.

_"It cannot be," _Sagat told himself, no one had ever gotten up from those kinds of attacks in the past. For sure though, it was time to end this and he was going to whip out the most powerful attack in his disposal.

Gathering up his chi into his bowling ball-sized fists, the Emperor of Muay Thai shot his arms forward and launched a massive fireball towards the foreign challenger.

"TIGER CANNON!!!"

The fireball traveled slowly in spite of its power and Ryu saw the move coming from a mile away. Unable to leap over the blast he did what he could and brought his arms up in a pitiful attempt to block the attack. Indeed he did block the massive projectile, but it had struck him with the force of a freight train, still too powerful for him to guard against and as a result, he collapsed to the ground.

Sagat watched as the youth staggered from the blow and collapsed flat onto his bottom, broken and exhausted from everything that had been thrown at him. Judging by what he saw, the younger man appeared to be in no condition to continue the fight. For sure, this fight had to be over.

Finally dropping his guard, the victorious champion walked over to his fallen opponent.

"That was an excellent contest. Perhaps you were much stronger than what I gave you credit for," Sagat said as he reached his long arm down to help his opponent back to his feet.

Ryu did not respond and was still looking down to the ground.

"The fight is over. Now come along," Sagat said reaching down and gripping the younger man around his arm.

When he touched what he believed would be warm flesh, instead the Muay Thai fighter found himself chilled to the bone, chilled by a powerful, enigmatic presence which he had never before felt.

"It's not over yet," Ryu replied, at least he thought it was the Ansatsuken fighter replying. The tone he spoke in was ten times deeper, having an almost demonic quality to it that unnerved Sagat even further.

Raising his head to look the champion directly in the eyes, there was something in his eyes that gave off an ungodly crimson glow, one completely inhuman.

"METSU SHORYUKEN!!!"

Those were the last words Sagat heard before he noticed the flaming fist traveling towards him.

And then everything went black.

_Thailand, Present Day_

Sagat panted heavily as he surveyed the fallen tree that lay splintered before him, toppled by his own mighty hands and feet. He barely felt any pain from the blows he had rained down upon its wooden surface, having trained his body to the point where he barely even registered such a sensation anymore.

He hardly felt anything when he was in such deep concentration, especially when he remembered that fateful night all those years ago when he was finally defeated by the warrior called Ryu.

Looking down to his broad chest, he noticed the diagonal scar running across it. Every day he stroked the disfigurement, still able to feel the burning sensation he had awoken with the next day. It was the bane of his existence, an eternal reminder of his defeat after he had let his guard down. He had drawn power from the hateful memory it invoked.

Indeed the hatred had given him amazing power, yet in the end it would cost him so much more.

As he focused on his pivotal battle with Ryu, he also remembered several other key battles he had endured following his humiliating loss.

He could recall being mocked by his former pupil Adon and challenged to a fight near the Ayuthaya Temple Ruins, which he had lost after becoming far too blinded by his own rage. Despite his loss, he had managed to beat the younger man so severely he was left in traction for four months, a battle after which the former student had gone on to proclaim himself the "God of Muay Thai," believing himself better than his former mentor.

Not too long after that, he found himself challenged by a young man named Dan Hibiki, who claimed that Sagat had murdered his father Go Hibiki back when he was a small child.

That was another bout the aging fighter could remember well, one that occurred back when he was still a young man, not too long after he had won the "Emperor of Muay Thai" title from its previous holder Nuah Kahn.

It had been a vicious back and forth encounter, one that had been his toughest to date. At one point the elder Hibiki had managed to deliver a vicious blow that permanently damaged his right eye, enraging him to the point he literally beat the man to death.

Seeing the rage burning in the young man's eyes, it was only then he realized how anger can make people do things they regret. Not wanting to see another take the same self-destructive path as him, he purposely took a dive, letting the young man defeat him and believe he had finally satisfied his anger so he could move on with his life.

And then there was his farce of a "rematch" with Ryu, one where the Ansatsuken master had been captured and brainwashed by Bison.

"Bison…" the Thai fighter growled.

He had become so consumed by his own rage and hatred he had willfully offered himself to Shadaloo, become both Bison's personal bodyguard and one of the feared "Four Heavenly Kings."

It took a confrontation with a corrupted Ryu to finally make him realize the error of his ways and along with the Japanese fighter's American best friend Ken Masters and self-proclaimed "number one fan" Sakura Kasugano, did he finally find the strength to leave the treacherous organization.

Granted, he had "won" the fight, but knew he would never truly have the kind of fight he desired as long as he would be competing against someone corrupted by outside forces.

With Ryu freed from Bison's mind control, the two men vowed they would one day have their proper rematch and ever since then Sagat trained his mind and body so he would be ready for that day to come, the day where they would finally discover which one was truly the better warrior.

_Setagaya-ku Ni-chome, Tokyo, Japan_

"Ha!!!"

A loud popping noise resounded in the empty gym as a gloved fist found its mark in the center of a heavy bag, sending it flying backwards with a violent snap. As the wobbling bag came flying back, it was met by another powerful blow.

"Yah!!!" the fighter cried as she performed a powerful spinning roundhouse kick that nearly snapped the bag from its chain.

A barrage of fists followed, every blow striking with greater intensity, threatening to burst the weathered bag open and spill its contents. It was as if it was taking a beating from a giant…despite the fact that its attacker was only five feet two inches in height and barely weighed over a hundred pounds.

"Ha cha!!!" another battle cry rang out as the fighter performed her final attack, a high angle kick in which she twisted her entire body, one which she called the "Flower Kick."

The blow struck the bag head on and finally ripped it from its chain with an ear-splitting snap, sending it flying across the room and striking the nearest wall with a high-velocity explosion, ripping the bag wide open and spilling its contents all over the place in one huge sandy mist.

Panting heavily, Sakura Kasugano let out a heavy sigh before allowing herself to collapse into a sitting position, carefully surveying her "work."

Every day she would wake up early just to train, her intensity growing with every passing session, to the point where she was able to destroy most of the training equipment in the community's fitness center and rack up her fair share of debts in the process.

_"Oh well, nothing a few successful street fights won't cover," _she said to herself as she patted her sweaty forehead with a towel and then took a long sip from her water bottle.

At this point in her life, fighting was all she did to support herself.

The now twenty-two year old woman had just recently graduated from college with a degree in physical education, which she nearly came within an eyelash of losing thanks to her dangerous, physically demanding "extracurricular activities" that often made her late to class, or forced her to miss altogether.

Many who worried about her hoped that she would give up on fighting as soon as she graduated from college, hoping that it was just a "phase" in her life. However, she still didn't feel ready to settle down at this point, still feeling the massive adrenaline rush she got whenever she fought.

_"I intend to keep fighting until I find 'him' again," _she thought as she rose back to her feet, knowing it was a means of possibly reuniting her with her idol one day again.

At this point, the woman no longer wore the school uniform she fought in during her teenaged years, now wearing a uniform that more closely mimicked her idols, that of a white karate gi vest over a white t-shirt and red and white running shorts, with her trademark red sneakers and red sparring gloves, as well as a new pair of white kneepads. Gone was her original white headband, now replaced by a dark red one that mimicked "his."

Walking over to her knapsack, Sakura reached inside and pulled out a small photograph held inside a small pink frame. It was one of her most treasured possessions, one which had great meaning.

It was a photo of a young dark-haired man in a white karate gi and matching headband with his back to the camera, looking slightly over his shoulder so the viewer could make out a side profile of his youthful face.

The man in the picture was her idol, the one and only Ryu, and it was taken on the night she finally met him in person.

_7 Years Ago_

Sakura grunted loudly as she slowly pushed herself back to her feet, wiping the cold, wet snow away from her exposed legs. As the lingering pain coursed through her body, only now did she start to feel the chill that came from being outside in the middle of the night during the dead of winter.

_"Maybe I should've worn some longer pants," _she thought to herself as she dusted off her dirtied school uniform, wincing as she rubbed a sore spot on her upper right leg.

"Are you alright?" a young male voice asked her.

Across from her stood the Ansatsuken fighter known only as Ryu, loosening his sparring gloves and breathing deeply after the recent contest.

At last she had found him, the very man she idolized, _THE_ Ryu.

Having acted on a tip from a resident in a nearby village, the young schoolgirl had managed to track down the elusive martial artist to the ancient Suzaku Castle, where she had found him in the middle of his training.

What followed was an intense back and forth contest where in the end, the Ansatsuken master had prevailed.

The fight was much closer than she thought it would be, but then again Sakura was able to sense that something wasn't right about Ryu, almost as if something was seriously bothering him, keeping him from performing at his full strength.

_"I thought he would have wiped the floor with me in ten second flat, but I'm surprised I was able to even get a few special attacks in," _Sakura thought to herself, remembering how she had been able to unleash the fireball attack she had learned to mimic after watching a tape of him in action against a large Indian grappler, the "Hadoken," or "Wave Motion Strike" as it was also called.

Even though she had lost the bout, she still felt in awe of the fact that she had finally met her idol face to face.

"Y-Y-Yeah I'm fine…I'm fine…" she sheepishly replied.

"Very well, I look forward to our next battle," Ryu said with a nod as he turned on his heel and proceeded to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Sakura called out, "I want to be stronger. I want to learn more. Please! Please teach me! Be my master!!!"

The vagabond warrior steeled for a brief moment before slightly looking over his shoulder and replying, "I'm still learning myself. I don't have time for school girl games! You're on your own. I've got to go."

"At least give me something to remember you by!" the teenager called out as she reached into her knapsack for a disposable camera and quickly snapped a photo of the fighter as he departed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Present Day_

_ "He took it easy on me. I just know it! What did he mean he is still learning?"_

It was a thought Sakura Kasugano had forever pondered since that fateful night seven years ago, one forever seared into her memory.

_"I used to think street fighting was just for fun, but after that fight something awakened within me, questioning if there was a deeper meaning behind everything. I have to be able to ask him when I see him again and hopefully this time he'll be in a more peaceful state of mind."_

Sakura remembered that she had indeed encountered Ryu a second time, about a year after their first encounter.

Only this time, he really wasn't himself, as if he was possessed…

While on her travels, she had met Ryu's best friend, the famous American martial artist Ken Masters, who himself had been looking for the wandering fighter. Eventually, they made their way to Thailand, where they found another rival of Ryu's, the Emperor of Muay Thai, Sagat, who himself was looking for the Ansatsuken master.

When they found Ryu, he had been brainwashed by the villainous Bison and was ready to attack, when Sagat had to step in and hold him off.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Ken had taken on the task of combating the vile Shadaloo ringleader, one which had nearly claimed both of their lives.

In the end, it was a combination of the young woman being hurt and Sagat's urgings that finally snapped Ryu out of his mind control and forced the Shadaloo overlord to retreat.

_"I will see you again Ryu and one day you will teach me exactly what you meant," _Sakura told herself as she carefully placed the picture back into her pack.

"Uh, hey Sakura are you in here?" another woman's voice called out.

"Yeah, I'm here Kei!" she called out, recognizing the voice as that of her best friend Kei Chitose.

"So how are-" Kei spoke as she popped her head into the gym, only to gasp as she saw what had become of the punching bag her friend had been working out with. "You didn't?" she asked in total disbelief.

Sakura only giggled innocently in reply, "Uh…yeah I did," she said as she pushed some of her now near shoulder-length hair up to scratch the back of her neck. "Guess I'll just have to pay for another new bag. I don't think I can really lie to Mr. Taro about these kinds of incidents anymore, he knows what I'm capable of."

"Capable of running yourself into debt," Kei replied as she walked over to her friend, "I was just talking to Hinata and Natsu and they both wondered if you wanted to join them at that new sushi bar that just recently opened up over by our old high school. They might stop by the karaoke bar afterward too."

"Hmmm, it's been a while since I've seen those girls," Sakura said gathering her things and placing them into her bag, "Sure, tell them I'll see them in an hour. I've gotta run over to my place quick and take a shower and change my clothes."

The two women stepped outside and Kei made her way over to a red car she had just recently purchased.

"Uh Sakura, don't you want me to give you a ride home? It would be faster," Kei offered as she proceeded to open her driver's side door.

"No, I'll be fine. I can run!" the young woman replied.

Before Kei could open her mouth to protest, her best friend disappeared down the nearest alley like a bolt of lightning.

_San Francisco, CA USA_

"Alright, come on Sean…just a little further!" Ken called back as he ran along the woodland trail.

He looked over his shoulder to see the Brazilian teenager stumbling over a rock jutting out from the ground that he himself had easily dodged.

Despite being fairly athletic for his age, Sean had struggled to keep up with him the entire time and his clothes were heavily stained with sweat. Nevertheless, he trudged along with a purpose, showing his would-be master he had something to prove.

Jogging in place, Ken waited for the teenager to catch up, the latter huffing and puffing until he nearly collapsed face first into the ground.

"Alright, we're here," the American martial artist spoke as he stopped jogging in place and motioned for the youth to follow him.

"Finally…" Sean gasped as he braced himself against a nearby tree and took a few deep breaths before following after.

The rest of their walk took the duo across a bridge over a woodland stream and into a clearing in the middle of the woods, where the teenager would immediately stop and stare in awe.

Before them stood a single story building that to the teenager, looked exactly like one of those karate dojos he had seen in the numerous martial arts films he followed.

"This is an exact replica of the dojo where Ryu and I trained under Master Gouken," Ken explained motioning towards the building, "For years we learned everything he had to offer and I vowed I would one day help carry on his legacy. I figured it would be only proper to teach in a familiar environment, so I had this dojo constructed for that very purpose."

The two of them made their way up a flight of stone stairs and Ken pushed the sliding door aside. Again, Sean silently took in his surroundings.

It was a dimly-lit room, mostly darkened thanks to the lack of light that came from the empty torches lining the walls. There were a series of workout mats covering the floor, along with a few punching bags and other pieces of exercise equipment here and there, but otherwise the traditional Asian works of art lining the walls stood out the most to him, all their vibrant colors making him feel like he was more so in an art gallery than anything else.

Along the back wall three pictures hung prominently and Sean found himself walking over to observe them more closely.

The first was of an ancient-looking man in a dark green karate gi whose balding head was covered by a red bandana and wearing a set of prayer beads around his neck. A nameplate beneath the picture displayed the man's name engraved in traditional Japanese lettering and beneath that was the man's name translated into English, identifying him as "Goutetsu."

The second portrait was of a bald older man in a fighting stance, wearing a single sleeved gi top that displayed amazingly tone arms for a man of his age. His nameplate revealed him as "Gouken," the very master Ken spoke of.

The final portrait was of a Japanese man around Ken's age who was also around the same height and possessed a build similar to his. He was clad in a plain white gi and a red headband that hung limply in the photo.

"So that's the Ryu guy you've told me so much about?" Sean asked, staring intently at the picture.

"That would be him," Ken smiled, pondering where his friend could be as he always did whenever he looked at any images of him.

"That's a cool headband. He almost looks like some big action hero with it on."

"And I know exactly how he got that headband too," Ken said pointing triumphantly to himself.

"From you?" Sean asked.

_7 Years Ago_

"Where have you been?" Ken asked his long lost friend.

It was a cool night near Suzaku Castle, the one place he knew he would find the legendary vagabond warrior known as Ryu.

As he expected his friend was clad in his perpetual gi and looked to be ready.

"Why? Need some schooling? Like the lesson I gave Sagat?" Ryu replied, tightening his headband.

"Sure, let's see your moves. Show and tell!" Ken smirked as he adjusted his gloves and went into his own fighting stance.

Simultaneously, both men pushed off their rear legs and extended their palms in one swift, fluid motion.

"HADOKEN!!!" they both cried in unison as a bright blue sphere of energy shot out from each set of hands.

The two orbs of light connected and cancelled each other out in one large, blinding explosion.

With the temporary distraction, Ken seized the moment to launch himself towards his friendly rival with his leg extended. Ryu saw him coming from a mile away and brought his arms up to block the attack, which sent him staggering back a few steps.

Ken attempted to follow up with a backward roundabout kick, to which Ryu would kneel and bring his arms up to again block the attack. Utilizing superior speed, the American martial artist attempted to follow up with a lightning heel kick as he lifted his head high above his head to strike, but had left himself wide open, long enough for his opponent to perform a sweep that took him from his feet.

Again using his speed, Ken quickly performed a backward roll and kipped back to his feet with a practiced grace. As soon as he was back to his feet, another orb of flaming energy came flying towards him, this one burning red compared to the normal electric blue of Ryu's projectiles.

"SHAKUNETSU HADOKEN!!!" the Japanese fighter called out as he launched the enhanced fireball towards Ken, who would perform a forward flip to avoid the attack.

Having closed the gap between both of them, the two Ansatsuken warriors engaged in a close quarters battle, throwing punches, kicks, elbows and knee attacks at one another. It was a back and forth battle as all incoming attacks were either blocked or dodged, until Ryu managed to parry a kick thrown at him, temporarily stunning his friend.

Taking advantage of the opening, Ryu followed up with a dashing elbow strike that nailed Ken in his gut and then grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder, sending the American to the ground with a hard thud.

Ken grunted loud in pain, but shrugged it off, having to keep himself going. Listening to the sounds of his friend's footsteps sloshing across the snowy surface, he rose to a knee and then launched himself into the air with his leg extended.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!!!"

The attack caught Ryu by surprise and he took several kicks to the face as a consequence, knocking him to the ground.

"You getting soft on me?" Ken playfully taunted, but then thought to himself, _"What's up with that? He's typically able to dodge such an attack."_

Ryu staggered back to his feet and scoffed, "It's going to take more than that!"

Seeing his opponent again thrust his palms outward, Ken again brought his arms up to block a potential attack, only to be surprised as Ryu ducked low and launched himself into the air with his fist extended.

"SHORYUKEN!!!" Ryu's voice echoed throughout the countryside as he delivered the rising uppercut to his best friend's chin, sending the man flying airborne and again back to the ground with another thud, cracking the earth beneath him.

Ken had to do everything he could to not cry out in pain and thus reveal his weakness to his opponent. Whether it had been a simple sparring match or an actual contest, he always wanted to be at his strongest and treated every battle with the utmost seriousness.

Pushing himself back to his feet, he grunted loudly before resuming his fighting stance.

"I would only expect that out of you after everything Master taught us," Ryu said.

"Yeah," Ken replied somberly at the mention of their deceased master.

Charging up their energy, both men again charged directly at one another and engaged in up close fisticuffs, again trading punches, kicks and anything else they could throw at each other.

By now though, fatigue had begun to set in for both men and they managed to find more holes in each other's defenses, landing fierce, hard hitting blows upon each other that sent both of them staggering back after every successful strike, only to come back and deliver something of their own in return.

Ken would win this exchange, catching his friend with a roundhouse kick that temporarily stunned him, only to follow up with a powerful uppercut and then grabbing him, driving his knee several times into the Japanese man's face. It wouldn't end there as he fell backwards with his leg extended while still holding his friend, spinning more than once before launching him into the air.

It still wasn't enough to put the Japanese fighter down and Ryu quickly shook the cobwebs out of his head and forced himself back into his fighting stance.

"It's going to take more than that, friend," Ryu said as he wiped some fresh blood trickling from a cut at the corner of his mouth. Bolts of electricity began to crackle around the Ansatsuken master as he applied all his pressure into his back leg and allowed his chi to gather into a sphere that was twice the size of one of his typical fireballs, the violent hurricane force winds growing around him before launching his palms outward.

"SHINKUU HADOKEN!!!"

The fireball zoomed towards Ken and he barely had time to dodge it, feeling its force ruffle his scarlet gi as he forward flipped over it. The drawback of the powerful attack was that it took Ryu longer to recover, leaving him open for the American to launch a super attack of his own.

"SHORYU-REPPA!!!" Ken announced as he launched himself into the air to perform an enhanced version of his Dragon Punch, striking his opponent in a flurry of flaming punches as he ascended twice as higher than his normal attack at superhuman speed.

Ryu fell back to the earth with near lethal force, his body bouncing back upon striking and rotating sideways more than once before falling back to the ground and letting out a long groan, indicating he was still alive.

Ken quickly ran over to check up on his fallen friend.

"Ryu, are you alright? Get up man!" he said as he reached down to help the defeated warrior back to his feet.

"That was an intense fight. You sure impressed me," Ryu nodded clasping his best friend's hand and pumping it in a firm handshake.

There was something though that bothered Ken. That fight was almost too easy to him.

"Something's bugging you. Your heart didn't seem to be in it this time. That battle with Sagat messed with your head man," Ken spoke, only to receive a sharp stare from his friend.

"It wasn't Sagat. It was something else," he grimly replied.

Ken could see the intensity behind his friend's eyes and decided now wasn't a good time to press him for details on whatever it was, although deep down he figured he might have had a clue.

"_Must be Akuma," _he thought to himself before speaking aloud, "Well stay focused! Remember, it's nothing but the fight…I guess?"

"Right," Ryu nodded.

Ken returned the gesture and reached behind his head, undoing the bright red ribbon which held his waist-length hair in place.

"Here, you keep this. If you lose it again, this will remind you…of me and the fight."

_Present Day_

"Wow…that's pretty intense…" Sean gasped in amazement, "…I hope to meet this Ryu guy someday. I'm sure he would be an interesting challenge."

"Indeed he would," Ken nodded, placing a hand on the youth's shoulder.

"_Ryu, wherever you are I hope your mind is at peace. I want to have a rematch with you again one day and this time I want you at your best."_

_Suzaku Castle_

It was early afternoon and Ryu had just finished up with his morning training regimen.

He now sat in the castle garden in a deep meditative state. The innate beauty had always kept him at ease, even as a small child Master Gouken would take him to the garden to calm him down. The tall trees that were always around to provide him with the relaxing shade he required, the birds and their harmonious songs, the smooth grass beneath his feet, the balmy breeze that always wafted over from the nearby hot springs, it was just too perfect to him.

This was especially perfect for relaxing whenever he had a lot on his mind, which was very common for him.

Being as calm and collected as he typically was, lately though he felt as if his mind had been racing in a whole bunch of different directions.

For some reason though, he had been thinking a lot about Akuma lately.

_7 Years Ago_

Ryu collapsed to his knees after a long, hard fought battle with his demonic adversary Akuma, having had to utilize everything he had at his disposal to bring the seemingly super-powered warrior down.

"Is this finally it?" he whispered aloud as he looked over to his fallen adversary in the darkened cave, by now most of its candles having burnt out due to the wind created by all the sudden movements.

Akuma's battered form lay near the opposite entrance, smoking after being struck by a massive fireball, compliments of the victorious Ansatsuken fighter.

The young warrior sat in tense silence, breathing heavily. He knew what Akuma could be capable of and wondered if it was time to formally declare he had finally avenged his master.

A deep breath suddenly came from the black-clad fighter, one which quickly turned into a booming laughter.

"What?" Ryu weakly asked as he watched the demonic fighter push himself back to his feet.

"You idealistic fool; you truly thought that would be enough to finish me off for good? I think not!" Akuma harshly chuckled, "But still, you have impressed me child."

The air suddenly thickened and an ethereal glow began to surround the practitioner of Dark Ansatsuken.

Not knowing what to expect, Ryu entered his fighting stance and stood ready for anything that was to come.

Nothing happened though and Akuma began laughing, a demonic, booming laugh that echoed throughout the caverns.

"You possess the same power as I," he explained, smoke coming out of his mouth with every venomous word he spoke, adding to the monstrous aura he emitted. "When the 'Evil Intent' awakens within you, then you will know."

The flaming aura surrounding Akuma began to grow, "All these past battles will seem like child's play."

With a mighty roar, the dark master drove his fist into the ground and a shockwave shook everything. Rocks and stalagmites began falling from the ceiling and the many statues shaped in Akuma's likeness began to crumble.

"W…what?! The island…it's…disappearing!?" Ryu shouted as he protectively brought his arms up to shield his head.

"When you have learned to summon all your inner power, find me. Then we will learn who is truly more powerful."

_Present Day_

_"But why should I still be thinking about this? Master Gouken sealed off the Satsui no Hadou within me. I never have to worry about becoming that monster ever again…"_

His thoughts then trailed over to that of his Master Gouken, whom both he and Ken believed to have been killed years ago after a supposed death match with his brother. From what they had heard, he was knocked off a cliff and his body was never found again.

_1 Year Ago_

Ryu stood in the crumbling dojo staring in silent awe at what stood before him.

"No…this cannot be…" he gasped, dropping his travel bag to the side, not knowing whether he should feel disbelief or joy.

A tall elderly man sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the room. His tanned skin was leathery and heavily scarred from previous conflicts. His bald head sported a long, white braid of hair adorned with a single prayer bead and on his face was a flowing beard. He wore a single sleeved blue-green colored karate gi vest and a pair of white pants held together by strands of rope.

"But it is," the man spoke in a deep, insightful tone. "Hello Ryu, it has been far too long."

"Master Gouken…but how?" Ryu asked, as if he were looking directly at a ghost.

"That is a story for another time, my student," Gouken said as he rose to his feet. "You are not well. I can feel it within you."

As if on cue, Ryu felt his muscles tense up and that bitter stabbing sensation within his stomach that bowled him over, leaving him in an unbearable agony.

Gouken stood tall, unafraid of what was happening as he watched his pupil's skin tone shift back and forth between its normal tanned color, and the dark, bronzed tone that closely resembled his treacherous brother's. The young man looked him directly in the eye, his eyes shifting back and forth between their normal dark brownish-black color and the glowing, ember-like red.

"I feel your power Ryu," he said going into his fighting stance, "Come to me. Let me help you."

"No!" the possessed fighter screamed, "Get away from me Master! I don't…want to kill you!" he shouted, doing everything in his power to resist the Murderous Intent.

"It is nothing I cannot handle, now come to me!" Gouken ordered before launching the first attack.

_Present Day_

_"He said something about emptying his soul of emotions; something Gen had mentioned something about years ago," _Ryu told himself, referencing the legendary Chinese assassin, who had been one of only few to do battle with the "Master of the Fist" and survive.

Last he had heard, the two brothers had departed to partake in a second rematch, to which neither one ever came back.

Both of their fates remained up in the air and the vagabond could only hope for the best when it pertained to his missing master's fate.

"I figured I would find you out here," a voice spoke up before the warrior.

Opening his eyes, he found a bald man clad in a traditional robe standing before him.

"Retsu, what are you doing here?" Ryu asked, not expecting to see his master's old friend here.

The man was Retsu, a fallen monk who practiced the forbidden fighting style of Shorinji Kenpo. In addition to being a friend of Gouken's, he had also served as a sparring partner to both Ryu and Ken in his free time.

"I heard you were in the area and knew you would be here," the older man explained as he took a seat in front of Ryu.

"Well you heard right," the martial artist replied, a rare smile crossing his usually stoic features.

Retsu smiled briefly to him, but then a look of concern crossed his features as he placed a hand to his chin, studying his friend closely.

"Something is troubling you. I can sense it by the look in your eyes and your abrupt movements."

Ryu did not respond immediately and only took a few deep breaths. Closing his eyes, he began to speak.

"I've been thinking a lot lately about my last encounter with Akuma."

Retsu grimaced slightly at the mention of the inhuman Ansatsuken master, whom he knew back when he was still an ordinary man called "Gouki."

"Why must you allow him to trouble you still? Gouken sealed off the Satsui no Hadou and I'm sure probably stopped him for good."

Ryu opened his eyes and stared intently at the former monk, furrowing his brow.

"I know of Master Gouken's power Retsu, but how can you be sure? Last I heard, they went to do battle and neither one of them ever came back. How can we be certain history didn't repeat itself? How can we be certain he managed to vanquish Akuma forever? Even he was only human."

Retsu shut his eyes and bowed his head, "I have faith in the abilities of your sensei, Ryu. I believe he is still somewhere out there, I can feel it."

Now Ryu's look turned to puzzlement, "What do you mean?"

The fallen monk again opened his eyes and rose to his feet.

"I cannot tell you exactly where it came from, but the other night I felt something, something powerful. The only level of power I have ever felt that from was either Gouken or Akuma."

"You think Master could be alive?" Ryu asked, quickly rising to his feet and inching closer towards his old friend.

"I am not certain," Retsu replied, "all I know is there is something out there, something powerful."

With a nod, the former monk began to walk away, leaving Ryu alone to ponder the meaning of his revelation.

_"What the hell was that all about? Could Master still be alive? Is Akuma still out there, ready to hunt me down?"_

Author's Notes: And so concludes another chapter of "The World Warrior's Legacy" and I apologize for the delay, but then again it is to be expected when you find your mind pulled in all sorts of different directions.

For the sequences with Sakura and Ken, I pretty much used all of the in-game dialogue from before their fights with Ryu in Street Fighter Alpha 2, although with Ken I incorporated some original dialogue for after his match with Ryu.

According to the canon guide by Tiamat, Ken's SFA2 ending with him kicking Ryu's butt really happened, because Ryu was distracted after his encounter with Akuma and not in a clear state of mind. My scene with Ryu after he defeated Akuma also incorporated actual in-game dialogue between the two from the former's ending sequence. I know I probably could have gotten a little more original with those factors, but I wanted to stay true to the game for the most part.

The opening sequence between Ryu and Sagat is naturally inspired by the opening sequence from the animated movie based on SF2, which kicked ass and was later made into a kick ass stage in SFA2 as well. Thank you Capcom for that!

The outfit Sakura wears in this story is her alternate outfit that I've seen in pictures of SF4. I figured that by the time of this story, Sakura is 22 years old and would be too old to wear her classic schoolgirl outfit, so I had her wearing this to reflect her having aged beyond her formative years.

Well that concludes this latest installment of "The World Warrior's Legacy" and until then, this is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	4. One Huge Axe to Grind

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: You are not hallucinating loyal Street Fighter readers, I have returned with the latest installment of "The World Warriors' Legacy!"

I know it's been a freaking long ass time since I updated this story (almost 9 months to be exact) as I've been distracted by my other projects that have left me feeling dry in the "Street Fighter well" and it's only now after a recent surge in ideas that I return to you.

Again, I would also like to take the time to thank anybody who has reviewed this story or added it to their favorites list and just wanted to let you know your input is always appreciated.

Okay now enough with my rambling, on with the story!

Chapter 4: One Huge Axe to Grind

_Somewhere in Kazakhstan_

A loud explosion rang out as the heat-seeking missile struck the battle tank head on, sending a mass of red and silver clad soldiers rushing for cover.

"Wasn't exactly the shot heard 'round the world, but looks like it's done enough to wake these blokes up," the heavy artillery specialist reported, a seven foot plus behemoth in a white arctic combat outfit with a cybernetic right eye.

"We aren't looking to make headlines McCoy, just do our damned job!" his commanding officer retorted, a tall muscular man himself, but nowhere near being the mountain of muscle his subordinate was, with a prominent scar running down his face and brown hair that fell to the bottom of his neck.

What was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission had turned into a full-blown battle for survival as the five man unit had found itself pinned down by an entire base full of heavily-armed soldiers.

_"Well Colonel, I think this answers those suspicions the government has been having about whether or not this place was some kind of Shadaloo facility," _a female voice barked through his earpiece.

"Well thank you for the assurance Luwanda. Just focus on taking those bloody sods out so we can find out what the hell is really going on down here," the Colonel replied before firing what remained of his current clip at the attacking soldiers.

_"Whatever it is, it mustn't be too important to Bison if he's not going to use everything at his disposal to keep it under guard like he does everywhere else he sets up shop," _a youthful voice added, one sounding like it belonged to a boy barely into his teens.

"If it's anything linked to Shadaloo, then we have a responsibility to have it dealt with immediately. If there's one thing you should've learned by now Ginzu, it's to never underestimate these creeps," the Colonel admonished.

Before he could receive a reply, both the Colonel and his subordinate, Major McCoy, were forced to duck down as a barrage of high-velocity rounds pelted the metal container they hid behind.

"How many rockets do you have left?" Colonel Wolfman asked as he checked over the current clip of his assault rifle.

"Just two sir, and I doubt that'll be enough for what we're putting up with here," McCoy responded as he set the RPG launcher aside and readied the heavy machinegun he had brought along for additional muscle.

"Yeah…we're gonna be putting up with a lot," Wolfman replied as he checked the heartbeat scanner attached to his rifle, which told him when a living enemy was nearby. So far, there were twenty blinking dots appearing on his radar and they were growing with every passing second.

The roar of more than one engine called out from a distance, forcing both men to turn their attention away from the battle at hand.

"Looks like you spoke too soon," McCoy shouted back, raising his machinegun and waiting for their new enemies to approach. Utilizing the thermal imaging within his cybernetic eye, he was able to make out the forms of ten additional adversaries through all the blowing snow, charging towards them on snowmobiles.

_"Colonel Wolfman…Major McCoy…anybody, I could use some help over here!" _Lt. Luwanda called out, _"These damned wankers have me pinned down and I'm low on ammo!"_

"We've got a dilemma of our own!" McCoy shouted into his earpiece just as the first Shadaloo guard pulled to a halt on his snowmobile, focusing the advanced vehicle's built-in weapons on the two Delta Red operatives. He squeezed the trigger and shot up the vehicle until he saw flames appearing from its engine compartment. It wasn't enough though as both men heard the hiss of a heat-seeking missile coming towards them.

"Hit the deck!" Wolfman shouted as the dart-like object soared towards them.

The projectile struck the container with a loud boom, creating a massive explosion that propelled both men into the air and sent jagged shards of flaming shrapnel raining dangerously down upon them, forcing both to curl into the fetal position.

Colonel Keith Wolfman was the first to recover from the blast, grunting loudly as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees, noting the warm blood pouring through the fresh cuts in his arctic combat outfit. Just as he was about to rise back to his feet, he was cut off by the cocking of numerous firearms.

Looking up slowly, he found himself surrounded by a group of soldiers clad in red and silver uniforms specially designed for the subzero temperatures of the Kazakh mountains. At the front of the group, a soldier shouted something to him in Russian, yet he was able to understand what the man was saying:

_"Ready to die, filthy British dog?"_

All of the soldiers laughed in unison as they trained their weapons on the Delta Red leader, knowing they were about to enjoy their kill, until a feminine voice pierced the air.

"CANNON STRIKE!"

From out of nowhere, a white blur flew through the air, striking the lead soldier with its extended foot, using enough force to snap the man's neck.

"Thank you," Colonel Wolfman muttered as he raised his assault rifle and opened up on the Shadaloo soldiers, quickly dropping another while his colleagues remained distracted by the white blur flying around them.

"AXLE SPIN KNUCKLE!" the lithe figure shouted as she twisted her body and delivered a powerful backhanded shot that knocked a soldier into unconsciousness and then leapt into the air, wrapping her legs around another enemy trooper's neck and flipping him onto the unforgiving icy ground, knocking him out upon impact.

The frantic agents shouted to each other to kill the woman, yet she moved with near superhuman speed, leaving it impossible for them to get a good lock on her location. Unfortunately for them, it left them wide open as both Colonel Wolfman and Major McCoy were able to gun down their attackers in quick succession.

"About time you show up," McCoy called out to his savior.

The woman in question looked like she was still in her teens, not exactly who someone would expect to have as their savior. She stood only around five feet four inches in height, with a slender, yet toned figure that was currently covered by a matching arctic combat outfit worn by her teammates. Long golden locks covered her head, which at the moment had been braided into two separate pigtails, complimented by a set of cobalt-colored eyes. Her youthful looks were further emphasized by her delicate-looking, oval-shaped face, its only imperfection being a scar along her left cheek.

"I thought you knew by now I wouldn't just sit back and let you 'big strong boys' have all the fun now, would I?" the little woman smirked.

"Nice of you to join us Cammy, but as you can see right now we don't have the luxury of sitting around for tea time. We have a job to do," Colonel Wolfman replied.

"Well then what are we waiting for? It's time to have some fun!" Cammy White spoke, cracking her knuckles beneath her red fingerless gloves, which were topped off by oversized gauntlets that looked too large for her small wrists.

Utilizing an almost superhuman agility, the Delta Red operative flipped herself atop the container her colleagues had been hiding behind and then launched herself downward with another Cannon Strike attack, taking down another Shadaloo operative, following up with an upward kick from her crouched position that took down another with a shot to his throat.

Several Shadaloo soldiers were firing upon the young woman, yet she moved like a white blur to them, effortlessly flipping over and dodging the bullets fired upon her. Leaping much higher than the average person, she flipped off of each soldier using graceful acrobatic attacks; eventually flipping over to one operative armed with an RPG launcher and wrapped her hands around his neck, twisting her body and with it, his neck.

"SPIRAL ARROW," she announced, lowering her body to the ground and lunging forward, twisting her body in a corkscrew manner in an attack that knocked several men from their feet. Just as she slid to a halt, she was already launching herself upward into another special attack.

"CANNON SPIKE!" she shouted as she launched herself upward with her foot extended, shattering a soldier's armor as her foot connected.

"I'd say she's about had her share," Colonel Wolfman shouted over to Major McCoy, cocking his assault rifle. "Now, I'd say we join her!"

"Good idea!" McCoy shouted back and they leapt into action, firing away at the Shadaloo operatives.

This was more than expected with the kind of intel they had been provided, yet it was proving to be the kind of workout Cammy so desperately needed.

Unfortunately, she was so caught up in the heat of battle; she didn't notice the sniper taking aim at her.

BANG!

KA-TING!

Turning around, Cammy found her teammate Lt. Lita Luwanda standing behind her with her large sword raised, having just deflected a bullet meant for her. Having saved her colleague's life, the melee weapons expert then pulled out a knife and chucked it with expert precision, catching the sniper right through the throat.

"Damn girl, you've really gotta get better at watching your back!" the woman casually chuckled, until a loud explosion came from behind them.

The two women whirled around to see a futuristic-looking bipedal robot marching towards them, one carrying the Delta Red logo. As soon as they noticed the youthful face behind the bulletproof glass they smiled.

"You were saying Luwanda?" George Ginzu called out from the cockpit of his walking battle tank.

"And just where in the bloody hell have you been, Ginzu?" Luwanda demanded, "With that new toy of yours we should've been in there a whole hell out a lot sooner!"

"Relax, relax I'm still learning how to operate this new toy," Ginzu replied, just as he accidentally pushed a button that launched a rocket towards a parked supply truck, "…oops!"

"I thought you were supposed to know your way around these fancy gizmos, 'Mr. I-Have-An-I.Q.-of-220-and-Can-Fix-Anything!'" Luwanda spat, this time in a more playful manner.

"Well keep in mind this combat thing is new to me. For Pete's sakes, I'm used to staying behind the lines while you get out here and do all the dirty work-" Ginzu was saying, until he was cut off by Col. Wolfman.

"People, please!" the Delta Red commander shouted, silencing his subordinates as he scanned the horizon. He then looked down to the heartbeat detector attached to his rifle, staring awkwardly at it.

"What is it, Colonel?" Cammy asked.

"I think that's it. I think we've taken out all the guards that were posted here," he replied as he stared at all the shot up corpses left behind.

"You think this might've all been one huge decoy?" McCoy asked, staring warily at the gray building before them.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," the Colonel said raising his rifle, "I didn't all this way just to turn back like that," he said snapping his fingers for emphasis. "McCoy and Luwanda, I want both of you on point."

"Roger!" they shouted in unison.

Making their way over to the building's front entrance, they found it protected by a hermetically sealed door, one that required a code to enter.

"Ginzu, we've got an electronic lock. That's your expertise," McCoy called back to his colleague.

"I'm on it," George replied. Pushing some buttons on an inside command console, a front hatch on the suit opened and allowed him to step outside. Grabbing a small PDA device, he quickly made his way over to the numeric keypad and pulled out a small tool to open the box. Pulling out some wires and attaching them to his device, he then typed in a few commands and a loud electronic ding resounded, letting everybody know his efforts had been successful.

"Got it!" he happily exclaimed as the door slowly slid open.

"Alright, keep it sharp!" Colonel Wolfman barked as he pulled out a pair of thermal imaging goggles and followed McCoy and Luwanda into the factory, while Cammy and Ginzu followed close behind.

"See anything?" the Colonel asked as they made their way further through the halls, picking up faint heat traces indicating people had been there.

"Nobody around," McCoy replied, again studying his heartbeat monitor, "but all these heat traces tell me people definitely were here. We must've just missed them, bloody hell!"

"Colonel, check this out!" Luwanda called out.

Rushing through an electronic sliding door that had been left ajar, the unit found itself walking into a massive room and instantly Cammy found herself encountering one of many things she had hoped she would never have to see ever again.

"Oh my god…" the young woman trailed as she observed an entire army of Shadaloo monitor cyborgs standing before her, the units Bison would send out to spy upon warriors and transmit their data back into the organization's mainframe. In this very room, there had to be hundreds, if not thousands of them lined up in three groups, each of them ten units wide.

Granted, they were all deactivated, yet the sight was still unsettling to the British government operatives.

"Let's just get what we need to and get the hell outta here," Lita said as she kept a careful distance from the cyborgs, "This place is giving me the creeps already."

Several large computer banks were present in the large corridor, most of which were still switched on, although most of them displayed icons indicating they were locked and would require a multitude of passwords to access.

"Think those units will have anything of use?" Col. Wolfman asked staring intently with a hand on his chin before turning his attention to Ginzu, "See what you can get us Ginzu, there has to be something here to let us know this little excursion of ours wasn't entirely in vain."

"I'm on it Boss!" the computer whiz called out and made his way over to a console in the center of the room, pulling out his PDA and getting to work.

Cammy meanwhile continued staring intently at the deactivated cyborgs, feeling her blood chill at the sight of them.

She couldn't remember much from her time at Shadaloo, but had encountered several of them during her time with Delta Red and knew the damage they could deal, especially if they were programmed with the data of actual fighters.

The ticking of Ginzu's fingers flying across the keyboard had done little to distract her from the robots, until a loud electronic ding resounded.

"Alright, I'm in," the hacker announced, followed by a succession of clicks as numerous windows opened simultaneously.

"Good job. Now let's get what we need and be gone from here," Colonel Wolfman replied, also starting to feel Cammy's unease within the presence of the deactivated army.

"Alright, just hold on a sec," Ginzu spoke, until the screen began flashing red and an alarm began blaring throughout the factory.

"What in the bloody hell did you just do?" Lita shouted as she jumped.

"Yeah, I thought you were supposed to be the best we had," McCoy added, taking a position behind the hacker with his heavy machinegun.

"I am the best we've got," Ginzu protested as he feverishly struggled with the computer, "Somebody must've been watching us the entire time, like they expected us to show up!" he shouted to his commanding officer.

"That's preposterous!" the Colonel shouted back, "Nobody else aside from us and the General were supposed to know…unless somebody was spying on us the entire time!"

Lita had been standing near the room's entrance when she suddenly felt a powerful, metallic hand clamping down on her shoulder.

"What the-" she uttered before finding herself lifted from the ground.

One of the cyborgs had come to life, its glowing red eyes piercing through her psyche, almost as if she were staring into the fires of Hell itself.

"Lita!" McCoy cried out, noticing her predicament and was preparing to open fire when the other cyborgs began systematically springing to life.

"What's going on here?" Ginzu asked, the color draining from his face.

"It's a trap!" Cammy replied, going into a fighting stance.

One by one the cyborgs stepped forth, walking towards the other four government agents while Luwanda struggled with the one holding her.

With a pained grunt, the lieutenant managed to grip the sword slung over her back and slice it downward, cutting into her aggressor's exposed leg hard enough to send it wobbling. Thrusting her body forward, she finally managed to wiggle herself free, landing hard on her side. Forcing herself back to her feet, she brought her sword up and sliced the cyborg's head clean from its shoulders.

"Stand your ground!" Colonel Wolfman shouted to his subordinates as the robots advanced upon them, but just as they had come within ten feet of them, they suddenly stopped.

"What gives?" McCoy asked, keeping his gun trained on the robots, feeling the thousands of glowing red eyes upon him and his comrades.

As if to answer his question, a compartment opened up in every monitor cyborg's chest in simultaneous, clockwork fashion. Within the opening a timer was displayed, all of them counting down from ten seconds.

"That!" Cammy shouted, pushing her way past the stationary cyborgs.

"Crap, everybody fall back!" Colonel Wolfman hollered.

The Delta Red members bolted from the facility as quickly as their feet would take them, hearing the low rumble from behind that would soon morph into a deafening roar as it followed, a myriad of explosions swallowing up the facility in methodical fashion.

The lithe Delta Red operative ran at the front of the pack with no time to look back and make sure her comrades were behind her as the heat nipped away at her backside and the roaring inferno made it near impossible to hear the other operatives' heavy breathing or shouts amongst themselves.

All she could focus on was running towards the light, racing against her own aching lungs and throbbing leg muscles.

The searing heat was soon replaced by the bitter cold; a welcome change to the young woman as she continued forth, just as a massive explosion that trumped all the others rang out from behind, flinging her into the air.

Cammy cried out in pain as she hit the frozen ground, landing hard on her side. Not knowing whether or not she had broken anything, she lay still for several moments, afraid to move. She had been so caught up in herself that she had forgotten about the others.

"Oh god…" she gasped and rolled over onto her side, only to find her vision obscured by a combination of smoke and heavy snowfall.

As if her prayers were answered, she heard Major McCoy's voice bellow over the blowing winds.

"Hey, any of you guys alright? C'mon say something!"

"We're here…barely!" Lita called out, helping George back to his feet.

Before Cammy could call out, she felt herself being lifted back to her feet by a set of powerful hands, those of the Colonel himself.

"It was a trap…a sodding trap!" Ginzu spat.

"Calm down Ginzu," Colonel Wolfman replied before returning his attention to the others, "It was a trap alright, but we're not going to let that stop us."

"So what's next on the agenda?" Lt. Luwanda demanded.

"For starters, we're going to get ourselves back to civilization," the Colonel said pulling out a radio, "and then we're going to plan our next move. I can tell already we've got a lot of work ahead of us," he said surveying the smoldering ruins.

Cammy stood silent as her eyes transfixed on the site where the factory once stood.

_"Have they really had that much stockpiled underneath our noses this entire time?" _she asked herself and then took notice of the dead Shadaloo soldiers lying around, _"After that last tournament I truly hoped their menace was gone forever. Could I have truly been this ignorant?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Fort McDaniel Air Force Base, Nevada, U.S.A._

"MAX OUT!" Dee Jay cried as he launched a boomerang-like projectile towards his opponent, who effortlessly leapt over it.

In reply, the man spun his body and delivered a brutal spinning back fist that sent the Jamaican kickboxer staggering backwards into a nearby chain-link fence.

His opponent was a muscular American who stood around six feet tall with piercing blue eyes, a firm chiseled jaw and blond hair styled in a tall flattop. He was clad in military fatigues and had an American flag tattooed onto his right shoulder.

The man was William Guile, a major in the United States Air Force and renowned street fighter.

It was a nice sunny day and several of his co-workers were cheering him on in the background, a few of them with their girlfriends in attendance, having a cookout and blaring rock music in the background.

Listening to the fast-paced, hard-hitting music provided the ideal mood for a battle that had been raging for nearly fifteen minutes, which realistically could have been over after five.

Guile stood to the right of the designated fighting spot, barely having broken a sweat, while his opponent was already worn down with a cut above his left eye and the right side of his face heavily swollen.

The perpetual smile that had been the "Southern Comet's" trademark was gone, replaced by a combination of fatigue, desperation and rigid determination as he narrowed his eyes at his American opponent.

As far as he was concerned, Guile only left him standing this long because he needed to release some pent up aggression.

Circling his opponent, Dee Jay attempted his next special move.

"HYPER FIST!" he announced as he attempted to deliver a rapid fire punching combo, but had been drastically slowed by exhaustion, enabling his opponent to see him coming from a mile away.

Having easily blocked the blows thrown in his direction, Guile responded with a special move of his own.

"FLASH KICK!" the serviceman announced as he flipped into the air with his foot extended, knocking his opponent high into the air and sending him flying into a wooden crate, which splintered beneath his muscular form.

Surprisingly, the battered kickboxer was still able to push himself back to his feet and attempted to launch a roundhouse kick at Guile's chest, who would catch the man's foot beneath his armpit and then sweep him to the ground.

"You've got guts kid, I'll give you that much," the major spoke as he twisted the man's ankle, "but it still wasn't enough," he said before snapping it.

With an indifferent grunt, Guile straightened up his hair and walked away towards his sleeping quarters, ignoring the cheers and Dee Jay's screams of anguish.

_"Wasn't enough even for a workout," _he told himself as he entered the barracks and walked over to the nearby sink to wash the blood from his hands. He then splashed some water onto his face and dried himself off before walking over to his bunk and sitting down.

Posted above his mattress were some photos that made him smile, offering him a welcome distraction from his current troubles.

Smiling back at him was the image of his beloved daughter Amy, now nine years old, her most recent school picture which she had sent along with a drawing that depicted all three of them together outside their house, along with her dog Safu.

Another picture was of a recent family barbecue at the Guile house with Guile himself, his wife Julia and Amy, along with his in-laws Ken and Eliza Masters and their newborn son Mel. Despite the fact that he did not think highly of his brother-in-law, viewing him as a spoiled rich kid, it had still been a good time he highly cherished.

The final picture was of himself and Julia on their most recent anniversary, relaxing atop a mountain in Yosemite National Park, which to his knowledge had been the last time he had really spent any serious time with his wife outside of Amy's most recent birthday.

Sighing to himself, Guile looked down to the dog tags around his neck, one with his name and information engraved upon it, and the other of his best friend Charlie Nash.

Every time he looked at those dog tags he could only think of that fateful night.

It had been six years ago, but to the tortured serviceman it seemed much longer than that.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_6 Years Ago_

Guile could only watch in horror as his best friend struggled with the madman.

"Just leave this to me! This base will collapse in time!" Charlie shouted as he wrestled with Bison, the notorious Shadaloo dictator and the very man they had been sent to apprehend.

"But-" he tried to say before he was cut off.

"Now go!" Charlie demanded as he held a detonator in his free hand.

Guile's eyes widened and he turned over to their partner Chun-Li, a Chinese Interpol operative who was barely into her early twenties. Her dark brown eyes displayed a similar look of horror.

Shooting a rueful glare towards his friends, Charlie pressed the trigger.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Present Day_

_ "Why did you have to sacrifice yourself like that friend?" _Guile asked himself, wondering if his deceased friend could hear him from wherever he was now, wondering if he was watching over him while he continued with his earthly mission.

Guile then looked over to the family photos posted above his bed, _"It pains me to think of how much time I've had to spend away from my family, tracking down that bastard and his organization, but I couldn't sit back and do nothing._

_ "Too many people fell before Bison and his blasted organization, people who had families…friends…lives…so much to live for, all snuffed out in a selfish quest for power."_

He remembered his final encounter with Bison in that South American jungle, a battle he had barely survived, but somehow managed to win in the end. How he triumphed was beyond him, but in the end the madman had once again eluded his clutches, disappearing into nothing.

There had been rumors that he was finally destroyed after a battle with the famed Japanese martial artist Ryu, but something still wasn't right about it.

_"Not knowing whether he truly is gone is driving me crazy…I just have to know that he is no longer a threat before I can finally rest," _he thought as his eyes focused on the picture of his precious daughter, so sweet and innocent without a care in the world.

"If he's still alive I will find that bastard, not just for the sake of Charlie, but for everything I know and love," Guile declared, clamping his hand around the dog tags.

"Major Guile," a feminine voice called out.

Snapped out of his thoughts, the serviceman looked up to see a shapely, crimson-haired woman in a black almost business-looking suit wearing a pair of yellow-tinted shades.

"Who are you?" he demanded, rising to his feet and assuming his fighting stance, "More importantly, who sent you?"

"That I am not at liberty to disclose, but I do have something you would be interested in," she replied, pulling a manila envelope from her jacket and tossing it over to him.

Catching the envelope with one hand, he kept his eyes trained on the woman, not knowing what to expect next.

Noticing his piercing stare, the woman sighed and casually crossed her arms, "You are going to open it, aren't you?"

"Not until you tell me who you are and who you are working for," Guile snapped, "If you were sent by Shadaloo, then so help me God I will not hesitate to snap your neck with my own bare hands," he shouted, feeling his patience at its end.

Again the woman sighed in a condescending fashion, "To answer one of your questions, no I am not affiliated in any shape or form with Shadaloo. As I stated before, everything else I am not at liberty to mention. If you want your answers you had best read what's inside the envelope."

"What answers?" the serviceman demanded, "I haven't got time for games!"

"Let me just tell you that it pertains to something very important, something you'd be very interested in finding out more about," she said with a wink.

Grunting in annoyance, Guile looked back towards the envelope and picked it up, wanting to do whatever he could to shut this mysterious woman up.

"Alright, I've got it-" he said turning around, only to find the woman had vanished.

"What the hell?" he shouted to no one in particular, scanning the entire room for anything out of the ordinary, but found nothing.

"I don't believe this…" he said as he looked down to the envelope, which had been stamped 'URGENT' on the cover.

_"This is too damn weird."_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong_

A crowd of spectators were gathered on a nearby harbor to witness a street fight taking place, one that had proven to be an exciting back and forth encounter that left them hooting and hollering wildly.

"JAGUAR TOOTH!" the first combatant announced, as he leapt into the air and then launched himself toward his opponent with his foot extended.

The other fighter however, was lightning-quick on his feet and back flipped to avoid the attack. He was close enough to a nearby building and planted his feet against its side, allowing him to flip over his opponent and land gracefully on his feet.

He may have missed his special attack, but it did nothing to deter the first fighter as he only cackled insanely and kept in his fighting stance.

The man was slightly under six feet tall with wild orange hair and was dressed like a typical Muay Thai fighter with his blue and gold trunks, taped fists and feet, red and blue armbands and a blue and gold headband.

He was Adon, the self-proclaimed "God of Muay Thai" and a former discipline of the legendary kickboxer Sagat.

His opponent was a lean man in a red ninja outfit with matching sneakers who was of Asian descent with short brown hair.

This man was Guy, the 39th master of the Bushin style of Ninjutsu, as well as one of the three men who had helped save Metro City from the clutches of the Mad Gear Gang nine years earlier.

"Ha, you can run, but you can't escape the fury of a jaguar!" Adon called out with his hyena-like laugh.

Without a word, Guy charged toward his opponent with inhuman speed, dodging a roundhouse kick thrown in his direction and then parrying a knee strike. He tried to follow up with a charging elbow strike, but the Thai kickboxer managed to block just in time, however the crafty ninja still had an extra trick up his sleeve and performed a somersault kick that knocked the man from his feet.

Unknown to the two warriors as well as the spectators another being observed the battle from the deck of a nearby freighter.

Clad in traditional Chinese garments with a headscarf, a cyborg recorded the battle and was transmitting its data to an unknown location.

That is until its head was kicked off of its shoulders.

"One less horror in the world," the assailant remarked, an attractive woman in her late twenties with chocolate brown colored hair and matching eyes, wearing a traditional qipao and white combat boots.

The woman was Chun-Li Xiang, a semi-legendary martial artist who was known in fighting circles as "the strongest woman in the world."

For now though, she was carrying out an assignment with her day job as a world class Interpol agent, on a mission to track down the remaining Shadaloo monitor cyborgs that had been spotted throughout the world. Pulling out a camera she snapped a photo of the fallen robot as proof of her latest find and then pulled out a cellular phone.

"Wallace, it's me. I've found the unit and have dispatched it. You should send a unit here at once. I don't know if there are any others here in the area, but it's better to be safe than sorry," the detective reported.

_"Nice job Chun-Li," _her partner chimed from the other end, _"That's the sixth one you've found around this area. I don't know why Shadaloo would've had such a large concentration around Hong Kong of all places, but I always know it's a good move to send you after them._

_ "I'll send a recovery team right away. Just stay where you are and we'll be there to pick you up shortly. Wallace out," _her partner said before hanging up.

_"You're damn right it's a good idea to send me after these bastards," _Chun-Li thought to herself again looking down to the headless monitor unit.

The detective thought they had finally stopped Shadaloo once and for all after she, along with Charlie and Guile raided the underground facility where the Psycho Drive was based and fought Bison together. In the end Charlie bravely sacrificed himself to save them both and it seemed the mad dictator was gone.

A few years later Bison reemerged from the afterlife to host another World Warriors tournament, bent on getting revenge upon those who had foiled his plans earlier, specifically Guile and Chun-Li.

In the end, the brutal madman would fall in defeat at the hands of the Japanese martial artist Ryu, only to be destroyed by another mysterious martial artist.

No matter how many times they thought he was dead, he somehow kept coming back, no doubt resurrected by a team of corrupt scientists who were fanatically loyal to that murdering freak for reasons beyond her comprehension.

The presence of these monitor cyborgs was a surefire sign that something was up and whatever it was, she was determined to find out.

_"Mark my words Bison, if you are still out there I will track you down and destroy you myself. I don't care if you have to die a million times over, your menace will end one day or another," _the Interpol agent told herself as she stared down at the wreckage.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_ Metro City, New York, U.S.A._

It had been a very back and forth contest between the two men as they fought on a skyscraper under construction in the heart of downtown Metro City on a bright sunny day, numerous construction workers neglecting their duties to cheer them on.

"Mein freund, I believe you should pull out of this fight before I squash you like a little bug. I don't think even your best shot will save you from my iron body," the first man spoke, a giant walking battle tank of a man who stood around eight feet tall with a tangled mop of long, messy black hair covering his head. He was dressed in a pink leopard-print tank-top, matching jeans, brown work boots, black studded wristbands and had a chain dangling from his belt. The behemoth locked his fingers together and flexed his muscles in an effort to intimidate his opponent.

This man was known as the Great Iron-Blooded Giant of Germany, Hugo Andore, a former gang member turned professional wrestler who dabbled in construction work on the side.

Unfortunately for the walking mountain of muscle, his opponent would not be so easily deterred.

Standing before him was a shorter, yet still impressively-built man who stood six feet six inches in height and was clad in a blue Judo-style gi top with white spandex shorts, blue shin guards and white grappling gloves with red accents. His short blond hair was styled into a Faux Hawk and his fair skin was covered by multiple scars.

He was Abel; a wandering Frenchman with no memory of his past who wandered the globe in search of strong opponents, hoping it would help him learn more about his past.

Right now, he was feeling winded after delivering a flurry of punches and kicks that would have already knocked out an average-sized man, but seemed to have only succeeded in tickling the giant.

"Face it little man, you cannot hurt me. Give up while you can still walk," Hugo offered, standing in place while his opponent shrugged off the pain coursing through his padded knuckles.

"I never retreat from a fight mon ami…especially not when it makes me feel alive," Abel replied, resuming his fighting stance and delivering a few practice punches.

Shrugging, Hugo drew his arms back and thrust them forward, clapping his hands together.

"GIANT PALM BOMBER!" he cried as his hands connected, but his opponent had already rolled backward to avoid the attack, utilizing amazing agility for a man of his size.

Landing on his feet, Abel flipped himself into the air with his right leg extended.

"Ha!" he cried out as he performed his Wheel Kick maneuver, striking his larger opponent in the chest, only sending the man staggering back a few steps.

Again, the blow had little effect on the German giant and he responded with an elbow strike that Abel could barely get his arms up in time to block, which still hurt and sent him staggering back.

Capitalizing on his opening, Hugo grabbed the muscular Frenchman and effortlessly tossed him across the scaffolding which the fought upon, sending him flying spine first into a steel girder and rocking the foundation, sending a few of the construction workers lunging for anything that would keep them from falling to the ground below.

Abel cried out in agony as he collapsed to the ground, feeling the painful jolts zapping throughout his body, he struggled to his knees and with a mighty grunt pushed himself back to his feet, only to see Hugo come charging at him like an animal going in for the kill, rearing his arm back.

Acting on instinct, the French grappler again rolled to avoid a lariat that would have most likely broken his neck and landed on his feet, still smarting from being tossed into the support beam. He had hoped his clumsy-looking opponent would charge head on into the same beam, but the big man caught himself and skidded to a halt.

"Your skill is impressive, but that alone will not save you in the end," Hugo spoke, clenching his fingers intently.

"I never expect an opponent to hold back," Abel grunted, shrugging away the last bits of pain in his body, "Don't slack off on me now."

Crouching down, the German giant launched himself upward, spinning his body around and attempting to strike his opponent with his large butt, but Abel would again roll backward to avoid the attack, quickly rolling forward to resume his assault.

With a mighty 'oomph,' the French fighter delivered an upward elbow strike the barely reached his tall opponent's chin, snapping his head back and sending him stumbling. His opponent finally stunned, Abel followed up with a relentless combo of punches and kicks that brought the wrestler down to a knee and ended with an overhead hooking punch that left Hugo seeing stars.

_"I hope this works," _the grappler thought to himself as he noted the German fighter's massive size and grabbed him by the shirt. With a loud grunt of exertion, he began spinning the giant around a few times, much to the amazement of those observing the fight, before driving him into the harsh steel surface and leaving a deep indentation where he landed.

"Hurry Hugo get up!" a feminine voice screeched from a nearby platform, that of a tough-looking woman with long pink hair who wore a biker cap, cut-off white tank-top, denim cutoffs and red high-heeled shoes, "We can't allow the mighty leader of the Huge Wrestling Army to fall just yet! Show that snail-eating chump what you're made of!"

The gigantic German pushed himself to his knees, shaking away the cobwebs and forcing himself back to his feet, refocusing his vision just in time to see his opponent charging towards him again. Readying himself for a ground-based attack, he was instead caught by surprise as the bulky Frenchman took to the air and delivered a flying kick that caught him in the chin.

Rubbing his sore chin, Hugo again shrugged it off and growled in anger, "Okay softling, now I crush you like a soda can! Only you won't be able to be recycled!"

His body glowing an unnatural color, the giant began swinging his massive arms wildly towards his opponent.

"HAMMER FRENZY!" he cried out.

Abel saw the lumbering movements coming from a mile away and performed his signature Marseilles Roll to avoid a majority of the blows, rising to his feet and blocking the last one before charging up for an ultra combo of his own.

The Frenchman's blue eyes changed to an unnatural black sclera with white irises as he announced his final attack.

"SOULLESS!" he announced as he ran towards his opponent and punched him repeatedly before following up with a series of hard-hitting grappling maneuvers before slamming Hugo hard into the steel, driving him through and to the level below, where a few workers on their lunch break scattered to avoid him falling on top of them.

Many looked on in horror as the giant lay prone, including the woman cheering for him, his manager Poison Kiss.

"You think he's alright?" asked one of the workers as he nervously approached the fallen giant and prodded him with his steel-toed boot.

It was only when the fallen man groaned loudly and began shaking his head that everybody breathed a collective sigh of relief. For sure, he would not be continuing this fight.

_"I definitely overdid that one," _Abel thought to himself as he continued staring down upon his fallen challenger, who by now was being helped back to his feet by a small group of workers, unable to believe the man could still walk after the number done on him, _"He really must be made of iron if he's able to get up from that."_

Only now was he aware of the spectators cheering wildly for him and he nodded in acknowledgment before making his way towards a nearby freight elevator.

_"And what did you learn from this fight Abel?" _he asked himself as he began his descent, _"Nothing," _he answered.

_"As much as I hate to say it, this fight really was a waste of my time if I walk away without learning anything about my past," _he thought.

His never ending quest for answers had once again brought him back to America, where he knew Guile lived, the man who knew the same 'Sonic Boom' technique as the mysterious soldier who had saved him all those years ago.

He hadn't gotten the answers he desired from their last confrontation and nor did he when they escaped from that S.I.N. base along with an unconscious Chun-Li. It was doubtful the Special Forces operative had found out anything new since then, but he figured it was still worth a try to find the man.

Trying to find Guile would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack though, knowing only that he lived somewhere on the west coast. Metro City had only been a temporary stop for him and he would continue westward bound by any means necessary, scrounging up whatever money he could along the way.

_"I have to find something one way or another," _he told himself as he looked for the person taking bets so he could receive his fight money, only to find the short, balding man being accosted by a group of thugs.

"Hey man, you're on our turf now! When we tell you to pay up, you damned sure better pay up!" shouted the apparent leader of the group, a short man with a blood red Mohawk and wearing an orange sleeveless jacket with a dragon symbol on the back.

"Heh, at least I'll be gaining something by taking down these clowns," the Frenchman smirked and then approached the group, "Excuse me, but I believe that man has something that belongs to me!"

"Get lost Frenchy! This is Mad Gear turf you're treading on. We give the orders around here, not some wannabe tough guy like you, so beat it!"

Two more thugs then stepped up behind the lead punk, one a tall, lanky man clad in an olive drab hoodie and camouflage pants who pulled out a set of throwing knives, and the second a shorter bald, obese man with a beard who wore dark blue trousers with matching suspenders and a white t-shirt covered by numerous food stains.

"Hmph! Well I was warned people like to play hardball around these parts. If that's the case, then so be it," Abel said spoke as he adjusted his sparring gloves and resumed his fighting stance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Palazzo Mistero, Genoa, Italy_

"It is beginning all over again," the fortuneteller ruefully sighed as she stared up towards the starlit nighttime sky from her balcony. Normally such a beautiful sight would have had a tranquilizing effect on her, but not this time.

_"Once again he has returned and the fate of the world will be at stake," _she thought to herself as she looked back into her den, where her tarot cards had been left out on the table, leaving her with unsettling results.

All throughout the day she had this faint feeling that she had struggled to brush off and it was only before bedtime had she finally decide to consult her tarot cards, which she was already wishing she hadn't done.

_"No it had to be done," _Rose told herself as she reentered her private chamber and again looked at her cards, _"This wasn't something I could keep ignoring. Through some means Bison has returned to the land of the living and he must be confronted before he can accomplish his misguided agenda."_

Rose was a tall, curvaceous woman with long, wavy violet hair and matching eyes with a fair complexion and a small mouth with full lips. She was clad in her usual outfit consisting of a loose red evening gown with large gold buttons over a dark-colored body stocking. A long scarf was draped along her shoulders and arms, emitting an ethereal glow illuminating much of the darkened room.

She had experienced combat with the one called Bison on several occasions, barely surviving each encounter, including one occasion where her body had acted as a temporary host for the evil entity.

The fortuneteller shuddered at the thought, still having nightmares of her possession by Bison and the hell she went through when the soul they shared was temporarily destroyed and crossed over to the other side.

How she had made it back to the mortal plane she still had no idea, knowing only her mission to stop Bison had resumed.

Despite the Soul Power coursing through her veins she knew this wasn't an endeavor she could carry out alone. She would require the assistance of powerful warriors to battle the mad dictator and his forces.

The woman smiled to herself, knowing there would be plenty of help.

_"There are always powerful warriors out there seeking to protect those they cherish. When evil arises they will gather to confront the threat, but they must stand unified, which is where I come in," _Rose told herself as she made her way down an elegantly furnished corridor towards the room at the end.

In the past she had acted as a guide to several powerful warriors seeking to stop Bison and his vile schemes, among them the powerful Japanese martial artist Ryu, the wandering detective Chun-Li, the hot-blooded American serviceman Guile, the Bushin ninja Guy, the amnesiac former Shadaloo Doll (and intended host body for Bison) Cammy, and so many more. She never forgot a face and remembered their quest.

Pushing those thoughts from her head she reached the door and made her way inside.

The fortuneteller found herself in a spacious bedroom and towards the back of the room was a spacious four post bed. On the bed rested a young woman with bright ear-length red hair who was clad in a black bodysuit that hugged her lithe figure closely and matching service cap, as well as a white armband with a red cross that indicated she had been a medic at some time in the past.

An eerie purple glow encased the young woman's body, keeping her in a protective stasis which she had remained in for the last six years, never aging a day, thus she was still biologically a sixteen year old girl.

The girl had been enslaved as one of Bison's 'Dolls.' Her real name was Magdalena, but she had been known during her service to Shadaloo as Aprile, the Doll of April who acted as the unit's medic.

Excluding Cammy, there had been eleven other girls just like her, all of them captured and brainwashed to serve as Bison's personal assassins and bodyguards, each of them specializing in different areas of combat.

In the end, only a handful of them had been recovered, Magdalena being one of the lucky ones. It had been her younger brother Maggio who had personally prevailed upon Rose for assistance shortly before his own disappearance.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to free the young woman from Bison's mind control, therefore she was put into her current state of suspended animation so she wouldn't be able to do harm to anyone else.

From what she had heard about the recovered Dolls, it varied in regards to their physical, mental and emotional states upon their rescue.

There had been that one young woman from Germany called Juni, who was recovered by the MI-6's elite Delta Red unit near the remnants of the Psycho Drive's hub in southwestern Thailand. From what she heard, the girl had been adopted by the unit and trained to become one of its official members.

Then there were two other girls who had been sought after by a warrior from the Native American Thunderfoot tribe named Thunder Hawk, one called Little Eagle, who had been the daughter of his chief.

The other was named Julia, who had been the daughter of a German physician that had been helping the Thunderfoot tribe, who Hawk himself had grown very close to.

Little Eagle, called Noembelu during her time of captivity, had emerged with amnesia like the others, but thanks to being surrounded by her tribe was quickly able to regain her memories.

Julia on the other hand had been left in a catatonic state, unable to talk or show emotion. T. Hawk himself had prevailed upon the psychic for help, but Bison's essence had done too much damage and there was nothing else she could do other than guide him to his beloved.

"Soon I will find a way to liberate you from that demon's control and I will find those other girls and free them as well," Rose spoke to the comatose woman, knowing she could be heard.

_"And soon I will find the others so they can fulfill their destiny of bringing down Bison once and for all," _she declared as she stared at her tarot cards.

Notes:

Final Fight 1 now takes place in 1987 according to the Street Fighter canon guide, which is what I meant when I make my reference to Guy saving the city nine years earlier. Why they changed the year from 1989 to 1987 I honestly have no idea, in effect they also change the years of birth for Cody, Guy and Haggar.

The opening scene with Cammy and Delta Red was largely inspired by the second mission from "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" where you have to infiltrate an enemy base and blow it to smithereens. The scene with all the monitor cyborgs suddenly coming to life like that was inspired by the opening scene from "Tekken 5" with all the Jack units detonating simultaneously like that, and then the bipedal robot Ginzu walks around in is inspired by Battletech.

I also took some creative liberties with Charlie's death sequence in the flashback. Granted, I never had the opportunity to unlock Guile and actually play as him in SFA3, so most of that was largely improvised, explaining why it was kept as brief as it was.

Wallace was Chun-Li's partner in one of the Street Fighter Alpha-based Animes, I forget which one exactly, I have MiggyMeista to thank for the info regarding that!

Well I wanted to do whatever I could to incorporate some characters into brief cameos at the very least, so hopefully you recognize some of them along the way.

That concludes this long awaited installment of "The World Warriors' Legacy" so until then, please read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	5. Sinister Intentions

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: For once I make a speedy update people, one that doesn't take me months to crank out!

Chapter 5: Sinister Intentions

_Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A._

"Outta my way!" Balrog roared as he brought up his gloved fist to swat an attendant aside as he staggered down the hallway towards his locker room.

The former world heavyweight boxing champion had just lost a street fight to some nobody punk from Metro City and he was beyond livid.

Blood stained his dark blue practice jersey, compliments of a gash left on his forehead after being clobbered by a wrench, from which he still also had a never ending ringing in his ears. The entire right side of his face was still heavily bruised up after being nailed by several rocks and his ribs were sore after being struck by a lead pipe his challenger had brought along with him.

He was angrier though about losing the hefty cash purse promised at the end.

With a mighty grunt, the boxer knocked the door from its hinges and made his way into the locker room, making his way over to locker where his meager belongings were kept.

"Lousy punk kid! Thinking he can come waltzing through here like he owns the place and embarrass me in front of everybody!" Balrog grunted as he ripped the bright red gloves from his massive fists and tossed them to the floor, letting out another roar and punching a nearby locker out of frustration, leaving a bowling ball-sized dent in its metal surface.

"Gonna show that boy, nobody gets one over on Balrog and gets away with it," the behemoth proclaimed to nobody present as he grabbed a towel and began wiping the blood away from his forehead.

An electronic ringing came from his duffel bag and he reached inside to pull out a cellular phone that looked tiny and fragile in his hands.

"Whatta ya' want?" he growled into the phone.

"Now Balrog, is that any way to speak to your employer? The one who pays you," the voice from the other end boomed.

"Lord Bison, I'm terribly sorry!" Balrog gasped, the rage in his tone replaced by fear, more afraid of the dictator's threat of not being paid than he was of being killed like anybody else who disrespected the man in any shape or form.

"Save it," Bison cut in, "I require your services immediately. Get back to the main headquarters where we will discuss matters further."

"Yes sir!" Balrog tersely replied as the line went dead.

"Gee, might take me a while to get back. Might have to beat somebody up for a few dollars…there'll be a few chumps who win big around here," the Shadaloo enforcer chuckled as he gathered his things and made his way towards the nearest casino in search of some 'easy money.'

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Barcelona, Spain_

Vega sighed in pleasure as he relaxed in a lounge chair with a glass of wine in hand, receiving a massage from a pink-haired woman in blue dress.

He was sitting near the pool of a palatial estate which overlooked vast acres of verdant land, the building itself surrounded by rows of rosebushes and statues, the most prominent being a statue of the Spaniard himself clad in his fighting gear.

It was a life many could only dream of, something which the vain nobleman scoffed at every chance he had when he thought of those in lesser positions within the world. They were insects to him plain and simple, putrid, ugly insects.

"Today is a beautiful day, is it not dear Enero?" Vega asked as he enjoyed the woman's delicate hands traveling along his supple shoulders.

"Indeed it is Lord Vega," the woman spoke in a dull, robotic monotone, being one of the Shadaloo Dolls whom Bison had given to the Spaniard as a reward for his loyalty to Shadaloo's cause.

Smiling to himself, the socialite looked over to a nearby tray, where an expressionless porcelain mask and three-pronged claw glove rested.

"Indeed it has been a while since you have feasted," Vega whispered to the glimmering claws as if they were his own children.

An honorable nobleman to the public, in truth he was a sadistic murderer who worked as an assassin for the international criminal syndicate known as Shadaloo, utilizing a unique fighting style which combined skills learned from his days as a bullfighter and Ninjutsu he had learned from his time in Japan.

The madman had already killed many people and the bulk of his fortune came from successfully completed hits against those who dared to rise against his leader.

Just as the assassin finished another sip of his wine, another servant girl appeared before him, this one an attractive redhead in a blue gown similar to Enero's.

"Lord Vega, you have a phone call. It is urgent," the woman spoke in an uneasy tone, knowing of her master's madness and how he could be prone to snap at the littlest things.

Narrowing his blue eyes at the woman, he reluctantly accepted the phone.

"This had better be important," the ex-matador coldly stated.

"Oh but it is Vega my boy," Bison chuckled from the other end.

"Sincerest apologies Lord Bison," Vega said snapping to full attention.

"A psychopathic assassin apologizing? Heh, now that's something new," the Shadaloo leader scoffed, finding the man's reply humorous. "Getting down to business, I am putting forth a new plan into motion and I need you here immediately. I've already contacted Balrog and he should be shortly, provided he is able to acquire the money for a plane ticket."

Vega shuddered at the thought of having to be near that uncouth behemoth before replying, "Very well my lord. I am on my way."

He switched the phone off and again looked down to his clawed glove and mask, _"Another plot for world domination? I wonder if that can be pulled off as long as those meddlesome street fighters exist," _he thought as he remembered the warriors who had stood up to and defeated Bison in the past.

In truth, he didn't care much for the mad dictator or his plans for world domination, but only followed along out of mutual necessity. Knowing of Shadaloo's superior technology, he knew of their plan to carry on Seth's project for creating new bodies for oneself, believing it could provide a breakthrough in keeping him eternally youthful.

_"Every day I continue to age and every moment I sit back, Father Time continues his barbaric work," _Vega thought to himself as he stared at his own reflection in the pool, placing a hand to his delicate face and grimacing at the thought of it being covered by wrinkles.

_"That will never happen. I will find that technology and I will undo the ravages of time. When that happens, I will forever remain ageless and beautiful," _he thought as his gaze now shifted over to one of the estate's many rose bushes, where the newest flowers were beginning to bloom right before his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Location Unknown_

Switching off the speakerphone attached to his armchair, Lord Bison turned his attention towards the bank of monitors at the front of the control room.

"Dr. Senoh, what is the current status of our monitor units?" he asked his lead researcher, a short, balding man with a hook-like nose.

"We've just lost a unit in Hong Kong," the elderly man nervously hissed, "but it did manage to record a snippet of a fight between two powerful warriors."

The main screen then showed footage of a fight taking place in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, where a red-clad ninja and Muay Thai fighter were exchanging blows and avoiding each other's attacks until the screen turned to black and white static, which could only have happened if the unit were completely destroyed.

"That wasn't good enough," the dictator boomed, causing the elderly Senoh and several other researchers present to cringe in terror.

"But there's more! There's more Lord Bison!" Senoh rasped, his fingers quickly flying across a keyboard and the snowy static was replaced by images of a blond-haired man in a scarlet karate gi battling an overweight buffoon in a yellow and black jumpsuit.

A brief, but intense back and forth battle was shown, ending with the red-clad man delivering a flaming Dragon Punch to knock his bulbous challenger out cold, a move Bison was all too familiar with, one he had been on the receiving end of in the past.

"My lord, one of the participants was Ken Masters, a previous participant in one of your tournaments," the researcher explained only to be cut off in mid-sentence.

"I am fully aware of who he is Senoh, but please do continue along with your little presentation," the dictator replied as he reclined in his armchair.

"Very well," the researcher explained as he typed in a few more commands and the scene changed to a London street, where two well-dressed gentlemen were locked in a back and forth contest before several spectators.

The first was a tall blond-haired man wearing a white dress shirt with black suspenders, red ascot tie, black dress pants and holding two clubs. He was recognized as Eagle, a competitor from the first World Warriors tournament hosted by Sagat.

The second was off African descent with cleanly trimmed hair and a mustache worn in an old-fashioned handlebar style. He wore green tuxedo pants with matching suspenders and a cummerbund, along with a white tuxedo shirt and green bowtie. A pair of blue boxing gloves covered his fists. He too was familiar to the Shadaloo dictator, recognizing him as Dudley, a British boxing champion who had defeated his top enforcer Balrog in a previous confrontation.

Both men utilized several unique attacks during their encounter, including Eagle spinning around like a tornado with his clubs extended, netting several hits against his pugilistic competitor, who in turn responded with a corkscrew type of punch that sent his aggressor falling backward to the cobbled street, never to rise again.

Indeed he had witnessed some terrific combat footage, but still it had failed to stir up the feelings of amazement he had felt when witnessing that wandering Japanese warrior in action, the man called Ryu.

_"The only one who comes close to matching him is that American he's friends with, Ken Masters, then again he lacks that aura that made Ryu special," _the tyrant thought as the control room's double doors slid open behind him and he turned around to receive his visitors.

The first to enter was a hulking dark-skinned brute dressed like a punk rocker with his blond hair styled into an oddly-shaped Mohawk, the second another bulky man with prominent sideburns who wore a white suit and pink hat, and also carried a baseball bat in his free hand, and the last being a woman in a purple half tank-top and off-white trousers with her dark hair styled into two horn-like bangs at the top of her head, her left eye glowing a robotic purple color.

Both of the men were carrying women over their shoulders and tossed them to the steel floor.

"Eh Boss, we found us those two lil' girls you'd been lookin' for," the dark-skinned brute snorted in his thick British accent.

"For once you impress me Birdie," Bison spoke as he stepped into the light, revealing his blood red military uniform and matching cap, along with his flowing black cape and silver armor. An unhealthy pallor gave the man an almost ghost-like appearance, matching pure white eyes glowing an electric bluish color as he approached his subordinates.

Both of the unconscious women were still fairly young, the first with shorter pink hair and dressed like some kind of street punk, while the second was darker skinned and dressed in the ratty clothing of a third world resident.

"Fevrier and Santamu, at last my children you have returned to me," Bison spoke as he knelt over both of them.

The Doll called Santamu let out a stifled groan and her eyelids were beginning to flutter, until Bison's hand was surrounded by an ethereal hue and she again passed out.

"Sleep well child, you've had a long, arduous journey," the dictator spoke mockingly.

"It wasn't easy finding that one. She was holed up in some village in the middle of nowhere," the white-clad enforcer spoke looking down to his baseball bat, "Had to beat a few people up to get her whereabouts, but in the end it was worth it," he chuckled.

"You just keep in mind you wouldn't have found her village without my superior tracking skills big boy," the woman playfully giggled, earning stares of annoyance from her colleagues.

"You jus' can it lil' girl. Ya' know we bloody 'ell coulda' found dat place without ya' taggin' 'long," Birdie spat, loosening the chain wrapped around his left wrist and readying for a fight.

"Yeah, last time we allow you to come along, you naturally want all the glory for yourself," the second man growled and raised his bat.

"Ooh, I just love it when you get aggressive, but if you like it rough then I'll be more than happy to oblige," the woman cooed with a seductive purr, her pink eye flashing as she went into a traditional Tae Kwon Do fighting stance.

"Cracker Jack, Juri that's enough!" Bison barked and right away Jack stood at attention while Juri just smirked at him.

Bison closely inspected the young woman, remembering her as having worked in collusion with that traitorous lout Seth.

He had first met the young woman face to face after he had personally taken down Seth. She wanted him dead for murdering her parents and then attempted to take advantage of him in his weakened state, but in the end he still had enough power to put her down. Rather than killing her, he took notice of her superior abilities and the Feng Shui Engine which enhanced those powers. Instead he decided to keep her alive, brainwashing her into service.

Lord Bison returned his attention to the two young women lying on the floor, able to detect the faint traces of Psycho Power still lurking within their bodies.

Thanks to his vast powers he could sense Psycho Power anywhere on the planet and knew of the location of one of his former Dolls.

_"Time to have some fun," _he thought to himself as he went into a deep trance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Thunderfoot Reservation, Monte Alban Plains, Mexico_

Bringing his hand down in a mighty chop, Thunder Hawk split the fallen log into two pieces.

It was just another day on the Thunderfoot reservation and the mighty warrior had been charged with providing firewood for his fellow villagers.

Channeling his chi into another attack, the warrior split one of the halves into tinier pieces and continued until they were ready for a small enough stack.

"Should be ready to go in no time," he muttered to himself, noting that only one log remained behind him, "might be able to make some good sculptures out of anything they don't use."

Before he could ready the last log, he looked over to a nearby boulder on which sat a young woman in an old-fashioned dress with brown hair that fell to the middle of her back.

Hawk sighed heavily to himself as he stared at the young woman, who just stared towards him in a frozen state, unable to react in any shape or form.

_"Dear Julia, are you condemned to that fate for the rest of your natural life?" _he asked himself as he stared towards the woman, _"Will you ever be able to tell me you love me in return?"_

It had been over a year since he had found her in the care of that kind elderly couple and since then, no progress had been made. She needed help with everything: being fed, being bathed, being dressed, she literally could do nothing for herself.

_"One day she will be back to normal," _a more hopeful side of his psyche told him, _"Only then can we truly be together," _his mind added as a bald eagle swooped down and perched itself on a nearby rock formation.

"Ah Libertad it is nice to see you again as always," Hawk smiled towards the bald eagle, which seemed to understand him and lowered its head so he could be pet.

"I trust your day is going well as always," the native warrior spoke as he finished stroking its head and returned to his work with the wood.

Julia sat on the boulder staring off into space when all of the sudden she experienced a sensation she hadn't felt in quite a while, a thought! No, a voice calling out to her!

_"Dear Juli, my beloved child, how long has it been since I have had any contact with you?" _a man's gravelly voice boomed inside her mind, forcing her to blink in realization.

_"Yes it is I young one, your one true leader, the messiah you once served underneath. I need your help and I am reaching out to you and your sisters. There are those who threaten my vision of a perfect world, those who wish to take everything you hold dear away from you._

_ "They must be dealt with immediately…including that oaf who stands before you!"_

Hearing those words, Juli turned her head to see the gigantic native warrior standing before her, clad in his denim outfit with an eagle feather headdress. Her eyes narrowed in disgust.

_"Finish him at once Juli, I command it!" _the voice ordered.

"Yes Lord Bison," the young woman spoke as she rose to her feet.

Thunder Hawk had just chopped the last log in half when Libertad began squawking wildly.

"What is it dear friend?" he asked as he turned towards the direction of the wild bird's cries. His mouth instantly fell agape.

"Could it be?" he asked himself as he stared over to his beloved Julia, now standing and turning to face him.

"My goodness…thanks to the spirits above…" Hawk gasped, tears forming in his eyes as he slowly stepped towards his sweetheart.

"J-J-Julia…it's me…" the Thunderfoot warrior stammered, overcome by emotion, "…it's Thunder Hawk…I love you…"

The woman said nothing and continued to stare aimlessly towards him.

"Julia it's me," he repeated, collapsing to a knee, "I'm here for you…I never left your side…"

"Target acquired," the woman spoke in a cold monotone, "Subject: Thunder Hawk, engaging target!" she said before going into a fighting stance.

"Julia, what are you doing? It's me!" Thunder Hawk pleaded.

"Commencing attack sequence!" she called out.

Before the Thunderfoot giant could appeal any further, the petite woman was launching herself into the air with her leg extended.

"SNIPING ARROW!" she called out as she flew towards her target, barely bringing his arms up to block the attack just in time.

"Julia, what are you doing? You have to snap out of it!" Hawk shouted at her, right before she executed her next special attack.

"CANNON SPIKE!" she announced, propelling herself upward with her leg extended and catching him in the sternum.

The Thunderfoot warrior cried out in pain and hit the ground hard, but no sooner than he landed Juli was already on top of him with lightning speed, raising her foot into the air and intending to bring it down upon his skull. Hawk caught her by the ankle just in time and tossed her aside, but she landed gracefully on her feet.

Shrugging off the pain coursing throughout his body, Hawk studied the woman standing before him. She was still the empty shell she had become, but now had an added killer instinct that transformed her into a living weapon, a sight that suddenly clicked within the giant warrior's mind.

He had seen her like this before, back when she had been brainwashed into acting as a bodyguard for Bison.

"Julia listen to me, you have to fight it! Bison is controlling you!" he shouted, not wanting to hurt her. "Please, you're not a Doll, you're a human being! Fight it!"

The possessed woman was not able to reason with him and ran towards him at full speed.

Not knowing what the expect, Thunder Hawk leapt into the air and dove downward with his arms extended in a motion that emulated a bird of prey, a special move he called the 'Condor Dive,' an amazing display of agility for a man who stood seven feet seven inches in height and weight over 360 pounds. Normally such a move would have served an offensive purpose, but in this case it was so he could avoid having to injure his beloved.

Unfortunately for him, Juli caught herself and skidded to a halt, turning around and launching herself into the air with a flying kick that he had blocked, followed by her going for another special move.

"SPIN KNUCKLE!" she cried out as she twisted her body and extended her fist.

Hawk though had seen the move coming and parried it, pulling her close to him and pinning her arms down in a bear hug.

"Julia, please I don't want to hurt you! You have to fight that bastard's control! He's only using you as a pawn!" the warrior grunted as he struggled to maintain his grip on the much smaller woman.

After some struggle, Juli had managed to slither her way out of the giant warrior's grasp and delivered a hard kick to his knee, temporarily stunning him. Without a word, she attempted a roundhouse kick to his head, but Hawk had managed to duck under the attack and grab her by the ankles, flipping her over his head, hating himself for having to do that.

Like she had done earlier, the lithe woman landed on her feet with an inhuman grace that could only have been artificially programmed into her psyche.

_"I don't think I'm gonna be able to reach through to her with my words, but I have to do something or else she's going to kill me," _Hawk thought as the woman geared up for another attack, launching herself towards him with another high speed flying kick.

Managing to roll sideways beneath the attack, the Thunderfoot grappler caught himself and launched himself into the air.

"CONDOR SPIRE!" Thunder Hawk called out as he launched himself into the air, catching Julia in the chest and sending her flying airborne. She fell hard to the ground, only to kip up a second later as if nothing had happened.

"Damn it," he cursed to himself and reentered his fighting stance. Juli charged at him in a blur of punches and kicks, most of which he was able to either dodge or block in the beginning, but she fired away until he grew exhausted and managed to deliver a series of hard hitting blows that sent him flying backward.

The giant warrior now felt sore all over, but still forced himself back to his feet. Seeing Julia make another charge, he brought up his tree trunk-like leg and executed a roundhouse kick she ducked under and spun her leg around to drop him back to the earth, an amazing feat for a woman who stood only five feet four inches in height going up against a man who stood nearly eight feet tall.

Juli again raised her foot high above her head and attempted to bring her heel down into the warrior's skull, but he brought his massive arm up at the last second and deflected the blow.

Intense pain coursed throughout Hawk's upper left arm and he swore he could have heard something snap, but still he didn't have time to think about that and pushed himself back to his feet. Unfortunately, he had been too slow.

"SPIN KNUCKLE!" Juli cried out and before he knew it, her fist was connecting with his chest and shattering two of his ribs.

"Julia…" Hawk gurgled before coughing out a mouthful of blood. Things were now getting desperate as the woman went to execute another 'Sniping Arrow' attack.

Reaching out, the proud Thunderfoot warrior caught the possessed woman by the throat as she remained airborne.

"Please forgive me," he muttered before leaping high into the air with his hand still wrapped around her throat.

"MEXICAN TYPHOON!" Hawk announced as he pulled his arm backwards and drilled his beloved Julia head first into the hard, unforgiving ground.

Giving into the pain surging throughout his body, Thunder Hawk collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, coughing out more blood as he slowly raised his head and looked over to survey the aftermath of his attack. A small crater had been left where Julia's head connected with the earth and a pillar of dust wafted into the air.

"By the spirits…what have I done?" he sobbed bitterly as his tears mixed with the blood covering his face. Had he truly killed the woman he loved?

"Julia…I'm so sorry…" he muttered, wanting to scream to the sky in defeat.

Unfortunately, the attack had done nothing to halt the brainwashed woman and seconds later she was rising back to her feet and going for a super attack.

"SPIN DRIVE SMASHER!" Juli announced as she performed an acrobatic drilling kick that struck Thunder Hawk in rapid succession on his chest and stomach before lifting into a powered up version of a 'Cannon Spike' that sent him flying into the air, only to strike the ground and leave an indentation where he fell.

Sensing her target was near death, the Shadaloo Doll prepared to finish him off.

"Eliminating target!" she announced in a soulless, robotic tone.

"THUNDERFOOT BLADE!" another voice called out and before Juli could react, she found herself struck from behind by a hatchet-shaped projectile.

Spinning around after taking the painful blow from behind, the Shadaloo Doll found herself face to face with another young woman around her age and of a similar size, her skin a dark bronze hue and her long dark brown hair styled into pigtails. She wore a tan leather vest over a yellow tank top, denim cutoffs, dark brown moccasins, black fingerless gloves and a red headdress with a single red-tipped eagle feather sticking out. In her hands she held twin hatchets each attached to strings.

"New target acquired. Subject: Unknown," Juli spoke as she examined the young woman.

"The name is Little Eagle and I'll be damned before I allow you to eliminate my big brother!" the woman announced as she geared up for her next attack.

"SNIPING EAGLE!" the woman announced as she launched herself towards Juli with her hatchets extended.

The Doll had seen her coming from a mile away and rolled underneath the attack, attempting a thrust kick which the Thunderfoot woman would bring her hatchets up to deflect. Juli then attempted to capitalize with her 'Spin Knuckle,' but Eagle would parry the attack and answer with another special move.

"RISING EAGLE!" she shouted as she lowered herself to the ground, only to launch herself upward with superhuman speed, her body surrounded by an eagle-shaped aura. The attack netted multiple hits against Juli and she was finally knocked to the ground.

"No…Little Eagle…don't kill her…" T. Hawk weakly pleaded as he reached his hand out towards his adoptive little sister, "…Bison is controlling her!"

The name sent shivers up and down the young woman's spine. She couldn't remember it, but at one time she had been captured and brainwashed into serving Bison as an assassin and personal bodyguard under the codename 'Noembelu.'

Thunder Hawk had managed to save her along with Julia and told her of the atrocities committed by the mad dictator's empire Shadaloo. Fearing she may have partaken in the aforementioned mayhem, Little Eagle vowed to completely rededicate herself to the Thunderfoot way of life and atone for whatever sins she may have committed under Bison's control. As long as that tyrant existed, she would never be freed from a sordid past.

The brief lapse in judgment had left the woman warrior open to her brainwashed adversary and Juli caught her with a 'Cannon Spike' that knocked her into the air. Utilizing her superior speed, the Doll attempted to bring her heel down into her smaller opponent's neck, but Little Eagle rolled backwards out of the way.

"My turn!" she replied before launching a 'Cannon Spike' attack of her own that she chained into another special attack, one she had learned from her adoptive big brother.

"MEXICAN TYPHOON!" she cried out as she drove Juli's head into the earth, not too far away from where T. Hawk had executed the same move earlier.

After taking the same movie twice in one day, the brainwashed Doll lay in place, never to rise again. Little Eagle knelt down beside the prone woman and felt her neck, breathing a sigh of relief as she detected a faint pulse.

First things first, she had to make sure her adopted brother was alright and went over to check up on him.

"Hawk, it's me, I stopped her," she said as she took her suffering brother's head into her lap.

"What…could have made her…do this?" the giant asked as he coughed up some fresh blood.

"We'll have to worry about that later. Right now, you and Julia both need help," Little Eagle replied as she looked over to where their companion rested, only for her eyes to widen in shock.

Julia was nowhere to be found!

"How could she have done that?" the young woman asked herself as she stared in awe at the empty crater.

For now though, her top priority was helping Thunder Hawk.

Able to sense its human friend's suffering, Libertad flew down and perched itself upon Little Eagle's shoulder. Sharing her adoptive brother's gift for communicating with birds of prey she spoke to it.

"Go, get us help now!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes:

The statue of Vega clad in his fighting gear is inspired by an episode I saw of the American "Street Fighter" cartoon years ago where they show a scene at Vega's estate and lo and behold, the vain bastard has an ornately crafted statue of himself on his front lawn. I know anything pertaining to American-based adaptations of the Street Fighter series when it pertains to movies and cartoons isn't exactly considered kosher by the hardcore purists, but I figure one tiny little smidgeon wouldn't hurt in this case!

Dr. Senoh of course was the lead researcher from the 1994 "Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie," who was later carried over as the researcher who appeared in Bison's Street Fighter Alpha 2 ending. Shadaloo needs as many villains as it can get in this story, so once again the ever-so-impish Dr. Senoh returns for your viewing pleasure!

Cracker Jack too was included for the sake of the heroes needing more villains to face off against. According to the Street Fighter Wikia, he became a bodyguard of Blair Dame in order to "avoid a criminal organization that was going after him for unknown reasons." Initially, he was supposed to be a low-level Shadaloo enforcer who was charged with training inexperienced grunts, which is where I'm intending to go with for this story.

Libertad is supposed to be the same bald eagle that appears in some of T. Hawk's SFA3 victory poses, as well as at the end of his SSF4 ending quotes. The eagle is never officially given a name, but given its close relationship to Hawk, I'd assume he would have given it some kind of name just like anybody who owns a dog or cat. Libertad means "freedom" in Spanish.

The name of T. Hawk's pet eagle is also a reference to G.I. JOE, where the Native American member codenamed Spirit was accompanied everywhere by a bald eagle named "Freedom." I'm a geek for Native American characters in fighting games, comic books and cartoons, so I couldn't resist the urge to make a subtle G.I. JOE reference, which could also be considered proper because Capcom used to have a deal with G.I. JOE and helped produce several of their older video games.

For those of you who don't follow the Street Fighter comics (or the canon guide for that matter) Little Eagle is actually the former Shadaloo Doll of November called "Noembelu" and she was originally supposed to be the Shadaloo Doll that Thunder Hawk sought to recover, not Juli. Unfortunately, Capcom got lazy and decided not to further expand upon her character outside of Juli and Juni, nor did they do that with any of the other Dolls.

Basically, what I've decided to do is do Capcom's job for them and I am further expanding upon Noembelu's/Little Eagle's character. Her fighting style will be a combination of the Shadaloo Assassination Arts (or "Puppet Style" the Street Fighter Wikia calls it) fighting style Juli and Juni use, the Thunderfoot Grappling Arts T. Hawk utilizes and incorporating her twin hatchets into battle.

These are her Special Moves:

Thunderfoot Blade – Charging energy into her twin hatchets, Little Eagle will lunge forward with both hatchets and if her opponent is too far away, she will end up launching a hatchet-shaped projectile towards them, a double entendre at its finest.

Sniping Eagle – This is my answer to Juli's Sniping Arrow attack, where Little Eagle launches herself forward with her hatchets extended, which could in some senses resemble Raiden from Mortal Kombat's "Torpedo" attack.

Rising Eagle – This move would be a "Dragon Punch-type" maneuver, making it Little Eagle's official anti-air attack and would also grant her temporary invulnerability thanks to the aura surrounding her body and net her multiple hits.

Cannon Spike – This is a staple anti-air attack shared by Cammy, Juli and Juni, so it was natural for another "Doll character" to use it, but Little Eagle can also chain the attack into a…

Mexican Typhoon – A move made popular by Thunder Hawk himself, which L. Eagle can use to ground her opponent, and in the popular tradition of "controller breaking" moves, this would be a 360 degree throw.

(Those were the special moves actually shown in the chapter; these are other ones I have yet to show off.)

Charging Eagle – Little Eagle charges energy into her hatchets and charges toward her opponent, if timed correctly she could also use the move to cancel out projectiles.

Eagle Counter – This would be a move similar to Dudley's Cross Counter, in which Little Eagle lowers her guard in an attempt to taunt her opponent and if attacked, will absorb the blow and counterattack with a high kick similar to Ibuki's "Kazegiri."

Super Moves:

Thunderfoot Massacre – This is a super combo similar to Eagle's Manchester Gold, where Little Eagle spins around with her hatchets extended and can net an insane amount of hits upon her opponent.

Canyon Splitter – This is a super combo borrowed from Thunder Hawk, which is a powered up Condor Spire fused with a Tomahawk Buster.

Spirit Eagle Blast – Summoning the power of her ancestors, Little Eagle charges toward her opponent with a powered up Sniping Eagle, her body surrounded by the aura of an eagle.

Well that's it for this edition of "The World Warrior's Legacy" so please read and review as it is your feedback that keeps this story going!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	6. Old Friends and New Dangers

The World Warrior's Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: Hi all, I once again come to you with another installment of "The World Warrior's Legacy," yes that's right I have come to you with Chapter 6, or "Chapter 666" to make it sound more metal! \m/

In response to a review submitted by CLZ, I don't believe it is ever clearly stated what kind of relationship Juli has with T. Hawk, but if they were officially stated to be brother and sister it sure as hell is too late to go back and change things around.

Just the way the dialogue is presented in T. Hawk's opening cinema of Super Street Fighter 4, to me it seems like they're implying they must have been lovers at one point, that or T. Hawk might have had an unrequited love towards the young woman that she didn't know about.

According to UDON comics, Juli was the daughter of a German physician who went to help the Thunderfoot tribe after their shaman passed on, which I'm sure they made up for the sake of explaining why T. Hawk went after her rather than Noembelu as he was originally supposed to (Damned Capcom laziness!)

Well that's enough pre-chapter ranting on my behalf so all I have to say now is on with the story!

Chapter 6: Old Friends and New Dangers

_A local tournament in northern Japan_

Ryu stood amongst the spectators with his hefty travel bag slung over his shoulder as he watched the current bout taking place, one between two fighters he was very familiar with.

"SUMO HEAD BUTT!" cried a husky man as he launched himself through the air headfirst at his opponent, clad only in a blue yukata and having his hair worn in the chonmage of a traditional sumo wrestler.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent leapt gracefully over the move and answered with a flying attack of his own.

Letting out an animalistic hoot, the other fighter curled into a ball and launched himself towards horizontally towards his opponent, but the sumo saw him coming and crossed his arms in front of him to block, taking the attack at full force and staggering back a few steps. A smaller fighter would have been knocked from their feet, but Edmond Honda's bulk prevented him from dropping so easily.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" the Ozeki shouted.

His opponent only snarled in reply and circled him.

The other fighter was no ordinary human to say the least and to this day, many still questioned his true origins. He was a green-skinned figure with wild orange hair who was clad in nothing but a pair of tan cutoff jeans and matching anklets, leading some to speculate he was an escaped laboratory experiment.

Moving around in a hunched over position that left him close to the ground, the bestial individual utilized an original, yet unorthodox and acrobatic fighting style developed during his time in the jungles of Brazil.

"C'mon Blanka, you're not tiring out on me now are you?" Honda asked as he stood in a similar hunched over position.

The fight between the hot-blooded sumo legend and Brazilian Wildman had been going back and forth for several minutes, leaving both men sweaty and bruised, yet unwilling to go down just yet.

"YA! YA! YA! YA! YA!" Honda called out as he executed his Hundred Hand Slap technique, his hands becoming a blur as he attempted to strike his opponent, who had leapt back to avoid the attack and responded with a low sliding attack he called the 'Amazon River Run,' knocking the massive sumo from his feet.

Utilizing excellent speed for a man of his size, Honda pushed himself back to his feet, only to block an attempted back flip kick and duck under a flying dropkick. The sumo wrestler tried to counter with a high knee strike, yet the beast man brought his hands over to cover his face from damage.

Raising his left hand high into the air, Honda attempted a downward chop towards his challenger, but Blanka again blocked the attack and found a hole in his defense, raking his claws across the sumo's barrel chest. Many spectators grimaced at the violent spectacle, but the hearty sumo shrugged it off.

"Can't you do any better than that?" Honda laughed as the blood poured down his chest. Undeterred by the sight, he resumed his offensive with another rapid fire flurry of slaps, which the bestial challenger would block until the sumo wrestler was able to get close enough to wrap him in a crushing bear hug that wouldn't last long.

"I can!" Blanka grunted and an electrical charge emitted from his body.

Honda could only scream in agony as several thousand volts of electricity passed through his body and he was sent flying backwards, convulsing violently as he hit the ground.

Taking advantage of his opening, Blanka again launched himself in a ball towards his opponent, almost sending him flying into the crowd, which had parted in anticipation of a large man landing on top of them.

Shaking the cobwebs out of his system, the sumo warrior struggled back to his feet, only to find his opponent charging up his chi and rolling along the ground towards him.

Out of desperation, Honda went for a super attack.

"ONI MUSOU!" he cried out as he went for a powered up version of his Sumo Head Butt, flying towards his opponent at a near superhuman speed.

Both fighters connected simultaneously and a small explosion resulted, sending both of them flying to the ground. When neither one of them rose again after ten seconds, a collective gasp emitted from the spectators, unable to believe they had just witnessed a double knockout.

A few attendants rushed to the floor to help the two fighters back to their feet. Despite no clear winner being declared in this contest, the audience gave both men a standing ovation for their efforts.

"That was a good fight," Honda said as he walked over and gave his opponent a hearty pat on the back.

"Indeed it was friend. It has been far too long since I've enjoyed such a challenge," Blanka chuckled, "Don't find many of those in the jungle, heh heh heh!"

"Don't find many around here either, too many pushovers. Hell, I still remember this one American guy I fought awhile back, wearing this goofy samurai getup…kept rambling on about 'wanting to be Japanese,'" Honda explained as they were led over to a nearby bench.

"And people think I'm strange," Blanka laughed as they sat down on the bench, "Want a drink while we're at it?"

"Thanks, come to think of it, I am feeling a little thirsty right now," the sumo replied.

With a friendly nod, Blanka reached into his travel bag and pulled out a blender and some oranges. Placing the oranges inside he took the plug into his hand and used his electrical charge to power the appliance, much to the amazement of those around him. Reaching into his bag again he produced two glasses and offered one to Honda.

"This one's on the house!" he grunted, clanking glasses with the sumo in a toast.

It was now Ryu's turn to fight and the wandering warrior set aside his travel bag to make his way to the floor. Adjusting his sparring gloves and tightening his headband, he awaited his opponent. Many in the crowd knew who he was and cheered wildly for him, most of them unable to believe the fact that they were in the same building as a near mythical figure.

A loud battle cry sounded and a pink-clad man rolled into the arena, the inventor of the Saikyo Style himself, Dan Hibiki.

"No ladies and gentlemen you are not hallucinating, the almighty Dan Hibiki stands before you!" the long-haired man called out as he struck a variety of poses for the fans in attendance that had brought their cameras. "I hope you brought your pencils and a piece of paper because you are about to be educated on the fundamentals of Saikyo!" he shouted before stopping himself in mid-sentence.

"Why hello there!" he called out to an attractive young woman in attendance, smoothing back a loose strand of hair and smiled as his teeth glimmered beneath the lights. He reached into his gi and pulled out an 8 x 10 glossy photograph of himself and autographed it, tossing it to the lady in the crowd. "Don't worry fans, there's more where that came from!" he added as he pulled out more autographed and began tossing them wildly into the crowd.

Ryu stood patiently as he waited for his old friend to stop mugging for the crowd.

"Yes, yes get them while they're hot!" Dan shouted as he had now pulled out a pile of coupons and began tossing them into the crowd, "These are complimentary coupons for one free lesson at the new dojo I will soon be opening! Aw what the hay, I'll offer a few free demonstrations once this match is over, now if you'll all excuse me, I have a beat down to offer!"

Dan finally turned and flexed his muscle, only to stop as he recognized the man standing before him.

"Oh my god Ryu, it's you!" he called out as he ran over and grabbed the white-clad warrior's hand.

"It's been far too long old friend," Ryu nodded as nodded as Dan pumped his hand wildly, "…Uh you can let go of my hand now Dan!"

"Oh sorry…" the pink-clad fighter said backing off, "…so how are things? Have you seen Master Gouken around lately? I heard you saw him at the last tournament."

"Indeed I did, but if you'll excuse me, we have a fight," Ryu said motioning towards the anxious spectators who were dying for some action.

"Oh right…well guess we'll have to chat later," Dan nervously laughed.

Both fighters went into their respective stances before Dan let out an infantile wail that some would assume was his attempt at a battle cry.

"DANKUKYAKU!" he cried out as he attempted a weird flying kick, which Ryu would easily duck under.

Catching himself hastily on the ground, the Saikyo master nearly stumbled over his own feet, only to rapidly whirl around on his heel and run wildly towards his opponent in an awkward manner that prompted a few snickers from the spectators.

Ryu now decided to act and thrust his palms forward.

"HADOKEN!" he shouted as the blue sphere of energy shot out, only for the Saikyo fighter to roll underneath.

"Ra-shuu!" Dan shouted as he stood on a knee with his fist triumphantly extended.

"Do not celebrate so soon. The fight is not yet over," Ryu spoke.

"Then let's make it over!" Dan shouted as he charged towards the wandering warrior with his foot extended.

Ryu saw the attack coming and brought his arms up to block it, maintaining a defensive posture as the Saikyo fighter attempted to follow up with a flurry of punches and kicks, forcing him to duck low and trip the pink-clad man from his feet.

Dan kipped back to his feet, only to find himself on the receiving end of a heel kick as Ryu displayed his amazing flexibility, followed by the nomad grabbing him and flying him overhead with a sacrifice throw.

"Ow!" Dan cried out as he landed hard on his bottom, again forcing himself back to his feet, "Okay, now you're seriously asking for it!"

Dan drew his arm back and allowed the particles of energy to gather before thrusting his arm forward.

"GADOKEN!" he cried, launching a powerful ball of energy that dissolved upon leaving his hand, causing many spectators to laugh.

"Goddamn it, I thought I had it that time!" the Saikyo warrior grunted before resuming his fighting stance, "It's not over yet!"

Ryu only nodded and waited for the pink-clad man to again charge after him, unleashing another flurry of punches and kicks which he either blocked or completely dodged. He let the man continue to attack just as he thought he was getting winded, but it was then his opponent managed to surprise him.

"KORYUKEN!" Dan announced as he performed his take on the Dragon Punch, ducking low to the ground and shooting himself into the air with his fist extended.

However, the blow only managed to slightly graze Ryu and he staggered back a few steps, while Dan only rose a couple inches from the ground.

_"Well this has been fun, but time to finish it," _Ryu thought as he leapt into the air for his finishing move.

"SHINKUU TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!" the vagabond called out as he spun around with his leg extended, scoring a flurry of kicks upon his opponent, sucking him in like a vacuum before he was sent flying high into the air and hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

Even though it had been a brief fight, the crowd applauded both men's efforts wildly and Ryu bowed in honor towards his fallen challenger before raising his fist in victory.

When the cheering began to subside he walked over to help his opponent back to his feet.

"That was a great effort on your part, but still you must learn how to take this competition seriously," Ryu stated as he hoisted the man upward.

"Hey, don't be knocking me or my style," Dan said furrowing his brow.

"That was quite the contrary my friend. You still possess much untapped potential, never give up on your quest to achieve it and you will go further," Ryu replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Tokyo, Japan_

"I tell you, one of these days I'm going to be on television if I keep that up!" Kei Chitose announced as she emerged from the karaoke bar.

"Kei are you kidding me? You practically cleared out the entire floor!" Natsu laughed.

"Well at least I had the guts to get up there and do it, unlike you 'Ms. Mighty Warrior Woman,' who claims she can kick anybody's ass, yet can't get up to sing in front of a crowd of twenty people!" Kei retorted.

"That's because I knew there would've been no crowd to sing for after you got up there!" Natsu shot back, earning some muffled giggles from Sakura and Hinata.

The four young women had been enjoying an eventful night on the town and were still too excited to just go home.

"So what are we going to do next? We've already hit the sushi bar and the karaoke bar…now what?" Hinata asked scratching her head.

"I heard they're opening this brand new arcade over in Shinjuku, we should go check that out!" Sakura chimed in, only to earn awkward stares from her companions.

"Uh Sakura, there's like a million arcades in Shinjuku already! Finding this 'new one' would probably be like trying to find a needle in a haystack!" Kei cut in.

"Wait, doesn't Fei-Long have a new movie out?" Natsu called out from the back, "Wait, yes he does! 'The Triad Enforcers 3' is out now!" she called out excitedly.

Sakura, Hinata and Kei all giggled at their tall friend's outburst, knowing of her crush on the famous Chinese martial arts actor.

"Don't worry, we know one of these days you will ask him to marry you," Hinata called out mockingly, eliciting giggles from their friends.

Natsu's face turned beet red and she seriously wished she had one of her volleyballs to pelt her smart aleck friend in the back of the head right now.

"So heard anything from Batsu lately?" Sakura asked abruptly changing the subject.

"He's been pretty below the radar lately since we helped find his mother. His dad has been pretty busy trying to help Mr. Shimazu and Ms. Minazuki rebuild Justice High," Hinata explained as they waited for the light to turn green at a crowded intersection.

"What about Kyosuke? Did they ever find him?" Kei inquired, hearing of his disappearance after the last incident at the aforementioned high school.

"No, we've all been looking for him," Hinata replied, looking over to Natsu, "It's like he just vanished off the face of the earth."

"Yeah, I don't know if it would be a good idea for Shoma to be the one to find him first. That sore loser wants to find him so he can kick his ass for our team losing to his in that tournament. Kyosuke knocked him out with that 'Super Raijin Upper' I believe he calls it," Natsu explained as they made their way past a crowded restaurant.

"Hmmm, maybe if he withstood a few classes from Mr. Nekketsu that likely would have never happened," Hinata shuddered, knowing how brutal the hot-blooded physical education teacher could be when it came to trying to 'inspire' his students.

"Well, well, well Sakura Kasugano…long time no see!" a snooty voice called out.

"Damn it, not her again…" Sakura grunted as she and her friends turned to face a young woman around her age with her long blonde hair styled into oversized Victorian ringlet curls held in place by a large blue bow. An elegant mink coat covered the woman's athletic figure and strangely enough, she was still wearing the brown fighting gloves she had always been known to wear.

"Karin Kanzuki…" she muttered, not even bothering to hide the disdain felt towards the snobbish heiress, "…what brings you to this part of the city? I thought you disliked being around commoners."

"Indeed I do, but even my estate becomes boring every now and then, thus I develop the need for exploring the 'outside world' and seeing what it has to offer," she continued in her lofty tone as a chubby dark-haired man wearing a red apron over a tuxedo shirt stepped up behind her, holding a tray with a cocktail in hand.

"Still full of yourself as always," Sakura replied shaking her head.

Karin narrowed her eyes towards her rival, "I see you're still as disrespectful as always to those who are above you."

"Please don't tell me she still hasn't learned her lesson after Sakura kicked her ass all those years ago," Kei grumbled to Natsu and Hinata.

"What do you want from me anyway?" Sakura demanded, "In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to have a night on the town with my friends and I don't need any more drama in my life than what I already have," the young woman asserted.

"Always one to run from your problems are you Sakura?" Karin called out, "Not that I was looking for a fight to begin with, but now with you here I could sure use a workout."

The socialite turned her attention to the butler and tossed her mink coat to him, "Take this Ishizaki."

"Yes Ms. Kanzuki," he replied catching the coat in midair, dropping the tray to the ground simultaneously.

Karin was dressed elegantly in a blue waistcoat, pink long-sleeved dress shirt underneath and blue slacks.

Sakura furrowed her brow and began cracking her knuckles, "Kei, give me my gloves!"

"Sakura please, we don't need any trouble. Let's just get out of here now," Kei pleaded from the background, only to be halted by Hinata and Natsu.

"Kei, give me my gloves now!" the young woman demanded.

Whimpered like a scolded dog, Kei reluctantly tossed Sakura her red fighting gloves and she slipped them on in one fluid motion, doing a few stretches before going into her fighting stance.

"Oh god, what is she getting herself into?" Kei whined.

"She's going to kick that pompous broad's ass, that's what," Natsu replied before clapping her hands together and cheering loudly for her friend, "C'mon Sakura, you can do it! Knock that silver spoon out of her big mouth!"

"With pleasure," Sakura replied as several onlookers stopped everything they were doing to observe the brewing confrontation.

"You know if she gets herself arrested I'm not claiming any responsibility for this-" Kei started only to be halted by an elbow to the ribs from Hinata.

"Well what are you waiting for commoner? Let's get this show on the road," Karin called out trying to get inside Sakura's head.

"Commoner? Heh, the only thing 'common' is that necklace of yours! Did you get that from a vending machine or something?" Sakura laughed.

That was the last straw for Karin.

"Oh, you are so going to pay for that now!" the socialite growled before executing her first strike.

"GUREN-KEN!" she called out as she charged toward her opponent with a rapid fire combo of punches, all of which were blocked by Sakura before catching her by surprise with a chained attack.

"RESSEN-HA!" she added, leaping into the air with a downward strike that caught her opponent by surprise and sent her falling to the ground.

"Don't think I haven't learned a few new tricks since our last encounter," Karin laughed.

Sakura attempted to sweep her from her feet, but the socialite performed a graceful back flip before she did something else the young woman would have never expected.

"HADOKEN!" Karin called out, thrusting her palms forward and launching a glowing blue basketball-sized projectile towards her.

Unfortunately for Sakura, she would have never expected the move coming from her rival and took the blast head on, being sent back to the pavement.

"How the hell did you do that?" she asked as she attempted to shrug off the pain burning away at her chest, _"Seriously, I didn't know she could do that too."_

"You underestimate the glory of technology dear Sakura. You see, I had one of my loyal servants videotape one of our previous encounters and it was through that, I carefully studied your movements and learned everything I needed to pull off such a complicated maneuver," Karin explained as her opponent forced herself back into her fighting stance.

"So not only are you a spoiled brat, you're also a copycat!" Sakura spat, "Well if there's one thing Ryu taught me it's that a true skill must be learned, not copied," she said before going into a familiar stance, "He also told me power is more than just the strength of one's moves!"

Planting her feet firmly onto the ground, the young woman drew her arms back, signaling that she was going for a fireball attack.

Seeing the attack coming, Karin brought her arms up to block the expected projectile, only to be taken by surprise as Sakura leapt into the air and drew her arms back, falling forward and bringing her clasped fists down upon her opponent's skull.

_"That's another move I learned from watching Ryu!" _Sakura thought to herself as Karin wobbled backward clutching her sore head. She had tricked her opponent into defending herself for an attack that never came and now it was time to capitalize.

Utilizing her flexibility, Sakura twisted her body to perform her 'Flower Kick' that caught Karin on her shoulder, followed by a roundhouse kick that caught her in the stomach, a straight punch to the face and ending with a double upward swing with her fists clasped together, sending the wealthy heiress airborne.

"Ah yeah, this is some red hot action we've got going here people!" a voice suddenly called out from next to Sakura's friends and they turned to find another familiar face, armed with her trusty camera, snapping pictures at every angle.

"Ran, what the hell are you doing here?" Hinata demanded as the photographer continued her work.

"What does it look like? Getting a big scoop while it's in progress!" she shot back as she adjusted her camera, just as Karin was about to make her comeback.

Out of desperation, Karin launched herself forward for her next attack.

"HOU-SHOU!" she cried shooting her palm outward and catching Sakura in the stomach. As her opponent was left gasping for air she quickly followed up with another attack.

"MUJIN-KYAKU!" she shouted now launching herself forward with a double kick that would launch Sakura into the air.

"Do you honestly think anybody from your inferior breeding could ever stand a chance against me?" Karin laughed.

"SHUN-PUU KYAKU!" Sakura called out as she launched herself into the air with a twirling kick that years ago would have only taken her into the air for a few seconds, but now took her over to her opponent, a product of years of training.

Karin saw the attack and raised her hands to block it, but found herself left on the defensive as her opponent followed with a flurry of punches and kicks.

"I've already beaten your sorry ass twice before, so I can't be as 'inferior' as you make me out to be!" Sakura shouted, doing whatever she could to overcome her opponent's selective memory.

The crowd was going wild as the two women went back and forth, exchanging blows that were blocked, dodged or leapt over.

Indeed Sakura was no longer the brash schoolgirl she had been years before. Over time she had grown into a disciplined, focused warrior who hadn't been defeated in a long time and she wasn't about to let her rival get her first victory over her.

Karin had also come a long way herself in terms of ability, yet displayed the same haughty attitude that had been her downfall in the past. If she didn't smarten up she would lose again.

The proud rich girl again went for her 'Guren-Ken' attack and this time chained it into another 'Ressen-Ha' that left Sakura on the defensive, before collapsing to the ground and delivering a sweeping kick that again took her challenger down.

Sakura displayed an amazing determination and still wouldn't be defeated so easily, rising into the air for her next attack.

"SHOU-OU-KEN!" she announced as she delivered a rising uppercut attack she had patterned after her idol's famous 'Dragon Punch' attack, landing a punch that knocked Karin from her feet and left her clutching at her throbbing jaw.

Karin punched the ground in frustration and again shoved herself back to her feet.

"I will not be defeated by a lowly peasant like you!" she shouted just as she charged up for a super combo.

"KOU-OU-KEN!" she screamed as she launched herself towards her opponent with a barrage of rapid fire blows.

Sakura would be the quicker of the two and leapt over her opponent, catching her before she could stop herself and wrapping her arms around Karin's neck for a stranglehold.

"This has got to end sooner or later!" she shouted into the socialite's ear, clamping down hard on her opponent's neck.

Before the fight could progress any further, another voice called out.

"SENSHI-HA!"

An arc of energy rained down from above and struck both of the young women head on, sending them crashing to the tarmac.

"What the hell was that?" Natsu cried out as herself and several confused spectators began looking around for the source of the attack.

"Up there!" Ran called out as she zoomed towards the source with her camera.

Standing atop a nearby building they spotted a young woman in a black skintight bodysuit and matching cap holding a sword in hand.

"Who is that?" Kei asked her skin paling upon sight of the mysterious woman.

The woman leapt into the air and landed gracefully on the ground, much to the astonishment of those looking on.

"Targets acquired," the woman spoke in a robotic monotone that left many baffled.

By now Sakura and Karin had both regained their senses and stood in their defensive stances not knowing what to expect next.

"And just who do you think you are to interfere in our match like that?" Karin called out angrily.

"Don't worry; I'll deal with her Ms. Kanzuki!" Ishizaki said cracking his knuckles and walking over to intercept the mystery woman, only to be knocked out cold by a single backhanded shot for his troubles.

"So much for having a competent staff," Sakura quipped.

Karin ignored the comment and launched a fireball towards the woman, who effortlessly leapt over the projectile and attempted a flying kick, which the socialite barely dodged and then attempted a roundhouse kick which she blocked at the last second.

"HADOKEN!" Sakura shouted as she launched a fireball that caught the mysterious woman in the back and forced her down to her knees.

"You see? That's how you do it!" the young woman shouted to her rival.

The mystery woman however was not impressed and forced herself back to her feet going for another wave of her sword.

"SENSHI-HA!" she shouted as another wave of energy launched from the blade.

Sakura was already exhausted from her confrontation with Karin and barely leapt over the wave of energy. Not wanting to waste her time with some unknown homicidal bitch she decided to end the fight early.

"HARU ICHIBAN!" she cried as she knelt down and spun her body with her leg extended before performing a hard hitting roundhouse kick, netting several hits on the mystery woman.

Before she could even hit the ground Karin was already on top of her.

"KOU-OU-KEN!" she screamed as she landed a series of blows upon the woman.

"Sorry Kasugano, I can't let you have all the fun," Karin winked.

Unfortunately for both women, the sword-wielding assassin was already back on her feet.

"PSYCHO CHARGE!" the woman announced and her body started to glow an eerie purplish color.

"What the hell?" Karin asked as many spectators gasped in horror and a few even began to flee the scene.

"BAKUDAN SLIDE!" the woman shouted as she charged towards Karin in a blur and connected with her head on, creating a small explosion that sent the heiress flying to the ground and hitting her head hard against the pavement.

It was now Sakura on her own against the mystery woman, who stared at her with the same emotionless gaze she had displayed throughout the entire confrontation: no fear, no pity, and no remorse. She appeared to be a complete blank slate, almost as if she were being controlled by someone else.

Then it suddenly clicked in her mind.

She had recalled meeting several of these women during her last encounter with Shadaloo from years before.

"_Dolls they were called, all girls around my age…I think that Chinese detective lady said they might have been possibly scouting me for something similar," _Sakura thought with a shudder at being enslaved as a mindless drone. She didn't have time to think any further as the black-clad woman launched herself at her.

"SPIRAL ARROW" she called out as she launched herself towards Sakura like a spinning drill, much in the same manner that British government agent Cammy had utilized.

Again Sakura tried to leap above the attack, but she had become so overcome by fatigue the woman's feet clipped hers as she remained airborne and she fell back to earth hitting the ground at an awkward angle.

"Ack! Damn!" she cursed, feeling the pain course throughout her body. Her thoughts were interrupted as the woman's boot pressed down on her hand.

"Get away from her!" she heard Natsu cry out, followed by Hinata's war cry.

Sakura looked up to find her two friends trying to rush to her rescue, only to end up being smacked around by the woman while Kei could only look on in terror.

"KINENEKI!" another voice called out and the woman was knocked from her feet by a blue projectile.

From out of the crowd emerged a dark-haired woman armed with a naginata, dressed like a traditional warrior with her white headband, red breastplate, white uwagi top and blue hakama pants.

She was currently engaged in an armed duel with the sword-wielding woman, both of them going back and forth. By now most of the spectators had fled while a few brave ones still remained to take pictures of the ongoing struggle.

"BUKYAKUZAN!" the new woman announced, pulling out two fans and slashing her opponent repeatedly before following up with a hard elbow smash that sent the attack staggering backward and then grabbed her and flipped her to the ground.

By now the black-clad woman had taken enough damage and was struggling back to her feet. "Aborting mission," she announced before running away.

The woman did not chase after her and instead approached Sakura.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she helped her back to her feet.

"Ow…I think so…" Sakura replied just as she looked over to see Kei and Ran trying to help both Natsu and Hinata back to their feet. She sighed in relief to see that her friends were alright and then looked over to the fallen Karin, who was slowly stirring back into consciousness and was being tended to by her butler.

"Hey watch it," the socialite snapped as Ishizaki touched her in a spot that hurt and shoved him away. Reaching into her coat pocket she produced a cellular phone and speed dialed one of her most trusted employees.

"Mr. Shibazaki, get the limo over to Kudahachi Boulevard. I need to get to the nearest hospital," the woman spat before hanging up.

"_Well at least she's alright too…for now," _Sakura thought as she turned to face the woman who had saved her life.

"I am Hokuto," the woman spoke with a bow, "That woman who attacked you was Satsuki. She is one of Bison's Dolls."

"I know who that man is. Is Shadaloo back in business?" Sakura asked staring uneasily towards the woman.

"I'm afraid so and I have no idea what Bison has planned next," the woman glumly reported.

"Well whatever it is, it isn't good," Sakura replied staring off in the direction Satsuki fled.

"This is just getting better and better_," _the young woman muttered sarcastically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Outside the tournament grounds_

"So what's been going on man? It's been a long time since any of us have seen you around," Dan asked as he, Ryu, Blanka and Honda all stood around outside the abandoned warehouse where the fighting tournament had taken place.

"Well you know me, I've been traveling the globe, training and fighting, nothing new for me," Ryu chuckled.

"Ever the wandering warrior," Honda laughed heartily, "shouldn't have expected anything else from you."

"Yeah, been a long time since I've seen you around the jungle. You oughta' stop by and have some pirarucu with me," Blanka chimed in.

"Ah yes, I heard you finally found your mother. I'm very glad to hear that. How are things around your village otherwise?" Ryu asked.

"I have so many new friends…everybody likes me now," the beast man grunted joyfully, "I hear there's even some woman they found in the jungles of Costa Rica who is just like me…maybe I'll see if I can find her."

"See, even if he can find love there's gotta be hope for you Danny Boy," Honda laughed.

"Hey, that's not funny!" Dan snapped, "Besides, I'm Dan Hibiki, I can have whatever woman I want! Hell, you should've seen the cougars that were chasing me all around when I was trying to spread the word of Saikyo up in Canada! Tell 'em Blanka, you were there!"

"Uh…those were actual cougars Dan…they tried to eat you alive when you got lost on that mountain trail and I had to save your ass," Blanka snorted, barely able to contain his laughter, as well as eliciting a snicker from Honda.

"Hey, that's not funny either!" Dan shouted to his friend.

"So what else has been going on with you?" Ryu asked Honda.

"Eh, still no success at getting sumo into the Olympics, wonder how many people I'm gonna have to beat up before I get the rest of the world to take it seriously," the sumo wrestler grunted.

"Hopefully one day it will happen, nothing can be impossible friend," Ryu nodded.

"You're right, one of these days I will get it on there, even if I have to join the I.O.C. myself. For now though, Hakan's trying to expand his oil business over here, been working with him on that," Honda chuckled.

"Well if sumo doesn't work out for you I'm sure you'll always have a future as a businessman," Ryu responded.

"Yeah, and maybe we could work out some kind of partnership deal for you to help promote Saikyo…maybe even make that an Olympic sport," Dan cut in with an ear to ear grin.

"I don't know about that. You still have a ways to go," Blanka spoke up, earning another awkward stare from his friend.

"Well we gotta get our name out there somehow; I mean we're still in the process of trying to open that dojo in your home village…right?" Dan asked.

"Heh, you've still gotta work on getting more students around here," Blanka added, "Gotta make sure you include the address in your commercials from now on."

"And if that doesn't work out, I'm sure Hakan could always use a driver," Honda laughed, earning chuckles from Blanka and even Ryu.

"If I wasn't exhausted from my fight with Ryu I'd be kicking your ass right now Honda!" Dan screamed his face red as a beet and steam would surely have been shooting out of his ears had it been physically possible, "I'm surprised your ass doesn't have its own zip code!"

"Hey, you just watch it little man," the sumo grunted.

"Okay, I think you'd better back off Dan," Blanka said grabbing his friend by the shoulders and pulling him back.

"Alright guys, well it's been nice to catch up but I have to get going now," Ryu said slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't wanna stop by the dojo and help me promote?" Dan asked nervously.

"I'd love to, but I have to get moving," the vagabond said as he started on his way, "I'll probably see you guys again sometime."

"Any idea where you're heading off to?" Honda asked.

"No clue. Guess I'll go wherever fate takes me," Ryu replied as he turned to face his friends, "The future is never certain with me."

"Well take care of yourself!" Dan called out as he continued on his way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Unknown to the four warriors, their entire conversation was being recorded.

A young woman with her face covered by a weird black mask was perched on a nearby rooftop with a shoulder-mounted camera.

"Subject is leaving the area. Requesting permission to engage," the woman spoke to an unseen commander.

"Leave them," Bison explained as he observed the proceedings from the safety of his control room, "Return to base immediately Decapre."

"_Yes sir," _the woman replied before ending her transmission.

"Lord Bison, are you sure we should just leave them like that?" Dr. Senoh asked from his position, "If they are allowed to walk away then they could pose a greater threat in the future!"

"We need them rounded up before we can act. True that it will pose a greater challenge when they are gathered together, but this time we will be prepared for them. Trust me Dr. Senoh," Bison replied as his white eyes glowed.

The dictator then typed in a few commands on his armchair control console before reaching through to one of his field leaders.

"Captain, what is the status of your retrieval mission?"

"_We've located the subject and are bringing her in immediately," _a soldier reported from the other end.

"Excellent, return to base at once," Bison commanded just as the rattle of machinegun fire came from the other end.

"Captain Schwarz, do you copy? Repeat, do you copy?"

There was nothing but static.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Ansbach, Germany_

"No! What do you people want with me?" the purple-haired woman screamed as she found herself cornered in an alleyway by a small group of red and black clad soldiers.

"It's time for you to come home Marz," the lead operative spoke, his face obscured by a steel mask.

"Why do you people keep calling me that? My name is Anika!" the woman protested, only to be halted by a net being shot onto her, cutting off her means of escape.

"Quick, tranquilize her at once!" the leader ordered as he pulled out a radio.

"_Captain, what is the status of your retrieval mission?" _a cold voice called out from the other end, one that sounded hauntingly familiar to the young woman, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"We've located the subject and are bringing her in immediately," the leader reported, just as another operative was approaching her with a stun gun.

"_Excellent, return to base at once," _the unseen figure spoke.

"Keep it nice and still little girl," the soldier chuckled as he powered up the stun gun, "Be lucky you're being taken alive."

The rattle of machinegun fire startled the operatives from their current objective.

"Ahhh! Help!" a soldier from the back of the group called out.

Stopping everything they were doing, the Shadaloo soldiers turned to find the soldier being hoisted into the air by a whip and slammed down to the ground three times in succession before falling into unconsciousness.

"Who's there? Show yourself at once!" the captain called out, cocking his assault rifle.

The cracking of a whip resounded in the darkness and before they knew it, a mysterious figure came swinging towards them feet first and knocking several of them to the pavement.

"What the hell?" the captain asked taking aim.

Before he could open fire, the whip cracked again and he found his rifle collapsing into two separate pieces.

"Leave the woman alone," a voice demanded and its owner stepped into the light, a young man with short fiery red hair who wore a dark blue trench coat, a violet waistcoat over a white shirt, blue jeans, brown riding boots and matching gloves.

"_Captain Schwarz, do you copy? Repeat, do you copy?" _the same voice called out.

Ignoring his master's call, Captain Schwarz quickly reached for his sidearm, "Not a chance punk!"

Raising his whip again, the young man shot it out and wrapped it around the captain's wrist, pulling him forward and knocking him out cold with a spinning elbow strike.

"Get him!" another soldier called out and the young man turned to see most of the Shadaloo commandos had now risen back to their feet.

"Ha!" the man cried as he shot his whip out and destroyed another trooper's assault rifle before they had managed to open fire.

Launching his whip upward, the man pulled himself out of their range and then took himself high into the air and landed behind his assailants, dropping one of the soldiers with a hard roundhouse kick to the back of his neck and then another with a hard uppercut with the whip coiled around his fist.

A third operative had attempted to get a jump on the man, who quickly uncoiled his whip and proceeded to strangle the soldier with it and then pull the man in front of him as a human shield.

The merciless soldiers opened fire and riddled their colleague with bullets before the whip-wielding man chucked the man's corpse at them. Just as the dead body connected, the man was airborne once again and delivered a flying kick that dropped another soldier and followed up with a sweeping kick that knocked another to the ground before delivering another low kick that knocked him into unconsciousness.

"You'll pay for interfering in Shadaloo's affairs you worthless punk!" another soldier cried as he opened fire.

The whip fighter again leapt out of the way to evade the hail of gunfire before landing behind the soldier and then wrapping his whip around the man, slamming him down to the ground three times in succession.

Breathing deeply, the nameless savior thought he had dealt with all of the soldiers, only to freeze in place as a rifle cocked behind him.

"Not so tough now, are you?" the Shadaloo soldier laughed, "Looks like your luck has just run out and I'm not giving you any last words either!"

"Who says I'd need any last words?" the man asked before he struck his whip against a nearby brick wall and it bounced back to hit the soldier in the face, hard enough to knock him out.

Looking around to see all of his enemies knocked out the young man now focused his attention on the woman and took a knife from one of the unconscious operatives, using it to cut through the net restricting her movement.

"Oh my god thank you so much!" Anika exclaimed as she quickly pushed herself away from the netting.

"It was my pleasure," the man spoke before turning around to walk away.

"Wait, who are you?" Anika called out.

The whip-wielding vigilante turned around to address her, "I am Maggio. I am on a mission to stop those pernicious fools before they can make anybody else suffer…just like they did to my sister."

"_Captain Schwarz, do you copy?" _a voice called out over one of the soldier's radios, one which Maggio recognized and scooped up the radio.

"Your men have fallen Bison and you are next!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes:

Wow that was pretty epic…and in a shorter amount of time too compared to Ch. 4!

Alrighty then! It is now time for Metal Harbinger's obligatory post-chapter ranting…if you're still with me by this point!

The Fei-Long movie title mentioned "The Triad Enforcers 3" is another reference to the U.S. Street Fighter cartoon where in one episode Ken co-stars with Fei-Long in an upcoming movie that is financed by Ken's father (called Danton Masters in this continuity) and ends with Ken and Fei-Long getting into a dispute over how the movie will play out. How that episode ends I honestly have no idea.

I'm also not very familiar with the events of the Rival Schools continuity and am aware that in 1996 a lot of the cast members would still be in their teenage years. A majority of the information I've gathered is from the Capcom Database Wiki, where I'm aware that Kyosuke vanishes after the events of "Rival Schools: Project Justice" and so I would have it at this point where he is still being sought after. Obviously since I'm not too familiar with the Rival Schools events, chances are a lot of the things I may incorporate are my own made up occurrences.

Satsuki is the Shadaloo Doll of May. Originally from Japan, she specializes in sword fighting. I will expand further upon her and her fighting style is going to be a combination of Puppet Style and sword fighting, her sword of which can be knocked from her hands and retrieved, just like Vega's claw and mask.

These are her Special Moves:

Senshi-Ha (Warrior Wave) – This would be Satsuki's projectile attack where she launches a wave of energy towards her opponent with her sword, an arc similar to the one created by Guile's Flash Kick. This can only happen when she is equipped with her sword.

Psycho Dance – This is another move where Satsuki must be carrying her sword, in which Psycho Power channels through her sword and she performs a wild slashing combo upon her opponent.

Cannon Strike – A powerful downward strike that can be deadly when it connects, but moves very slowly and will leave Satsuki open to attack if she misses.

Spiral Arrow – A fast-paced, low hitting attack that has a speedy recovery attack and if timed correctly, can bypass most projectiles.

Bakudan Slide (Bomb Slide) – This is a take on Juni's Mach Slide, which leaves Satsuki temporarily invulnerable. She charges towards her opponent and if she connects, a small explosion will occur.

These are Satsuki's Super Moves:

Reverse Shaft Breaker – A move made famous by Cammy and Juli, where Satsuki shoots herself straight into the air, very similar to Ken's Shinryuken.

Psycho Charge – This is a power up move that really serves no offensive purpose other than increasing the power and speed of Satsuki's attacks, as well as restoring a snippet of her health.

Illusion Dancer – Satsuki spawns a mirror image of herself from the opposite side of her opponent that mimics her every movement.

Decapre is the Shadaloo Doll of December. Originally from Russia, she looks like Cammy aside from wearing a cool-looking mask and comes equipped with claws similar to Vega's. I will post her moves at a later time.

Maggio is the younger brother of the Shadaloo Doll called Aprile, who made a brief appearance back in Ch. 4. According to SF canon, he appealed to Rose for help in searching for his sister, so technically he does exist and is NOT my original creation. However, I've once again taken the liberty of expanding upon an already existing, yet largely unknown character. I would have him where he incorporates a whip into his fighting style and uses moves that are somewhat inspired by Rose and Birdie. The concept of a having a whip-wielding hero is also inspired by the "Castlevania" series and I wanted to incorporate a fighter inspired by such into another fic idea of mine, but then I saw an opportunity when I decided to expand upon already existing characters.

These are Maggio's Special Moves:

Power Breaker – This is a special move where Maggio shoots his whip out and if timed correctly can completely cancel out projectile attacks, and as demonstrated in this chapter can also destroy weapons.

Raging Retrieval – This is a move inspired by Scorpion's spear attack from Mortal Kombat, where Maggio shoots out his whip and if he connects, he will pull his opponent towards him and straight into a spinning elbow attack.

Sky Draft – This is a move inspired by Spiderman's Web Swing attack where Maggio shoots his whip upward and will latch onto anything above him be it a rafter, tree branch, etc. and then swing across towards his opponent with his feet extended forward. This was also inspired by "Castlevania: Bloodlines" in which John Morris could use his whip to swing across ceilings.

Vigilante Whip – This is a move similar to Birdie's Murderer Chain, where he shoots his whip out and if he catches his opponent, he will slam them down to the ground three times before releasing them.

Recoil Whip – Maggio strikes his whip against the nearest surface and it bounces back to strike his opponent, great for freaking your opponents out.

Whip Evasion – This is a defensive move where Maggio shoots his whip upward and is able to land behind his opponent.

These are Maggio's Super Moves:

Magdalena's Wrath – Named after his older sister, Maggio charges his chi into his whip and begins to strike his opponent wildly in rapid succession for a multitude of hits.

Vigilante Justice – Maggio wraps his whip around his opponent and spins around several times before flinging them at full force across the battlefield.

Trap Whip – This is a maneuver similar to Rolento's Take No Prisoners attack where Maggio wraps his whip around his opponent's legs and then hangs them upside down in the air, once there he is able to utilize any kind of unarmed attacks upon them.

I also wanted to take the time to give a very special thank you to Jami a.k.a. iceangelmkx for helping me out with some of Hokuto's special movies and super combos. I'm very anal retentive about needing to know every little motion a fighter does in their special or super moves (such as whether or not they flip into the air and come down with their heel ablaze, launch a blue projectile from their palms, or punch the ground and create a small explosion) so I wanted to know every little detail of what Hokuto does in her moves. Granted, I have never played any of the Street Fighter EX games (where Hokuto made her debut along with her brother Kairi and sister Nanase) so naturally I might be off on some of her moves as well as mannerisms, so please bear with me in regards to her.

If there is ANYBODY out there who knows more about Hokuto in regards to her moves, please feel free to contact me IMMEDIATELY!

Well that's it for now so tune in again until next time and also read and review!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	7. Eventful Meetings

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: And so I return to you with yet another installment of "The World Warriors' Legacy, but before I start I would like to take the time to address a few reviews like what some of the other author's typically do before starting:

**Zindakku Hirokai: **Indeed that would sound like an interesting idea you've presented to me, but quite frankly I don't know if that will happen. I still haven't decided to what extent the SF3 characters will have in this story, but I've decided for sure that some characters who have preexisting back stories with the other characters will have some kind of role in this story, like with Sean being Ken's student.

**Cloud Link Zero: **That would totally kick ass of you and if I do have any questions I will be more than happy to come to you regarding "Rival Schools" and "Project Justice."

**MiggyMeista: **Glad to make you laugh compliments of everybody's favorite pink-clad Saikyo fighting avenger. I'm also glad to make you feel nostalgic in regards to Castlevania. Like I said, my idea to expand upon Maggio is basically a recycled idea I had for a character for another fic, but I ran out of ideas with that other character and had some existing ones that still needed to be put to use.

Well enough talk, now on with the story!

Chapter 7: Eventful Meetings

_Near the Thunderfoot Reservation, Monte Alban Plains, Mexico_

It had been a long helicopter ride over the Mexican desert and only now the heat was starting to get to him.

_"I need to find out who the hell that woman was and more importantly, how the hell she could have gotten her hands on that kind of information," _Guile thought to himself as he sat in the chopper's cargo area, clad in a dark green formal military suit he wished he didn't have to wear in this kind of environment.

He still couldn't believe what he had seen in that envelope the other day and it had been all he thought about ever since. It was something he had not shared with anybody else, something that left a million questions racing through his mind, something that he needed to get to the bottom of as soon as he could, or else it would drive him crazy.

_"I still wonder how she knew to look for me in particular," _the Air Force major asked himself as he looked around the cargo area, which carried a few members of his personal staff and a few officials from the Mexican government. _"I still wonder if she was with Shadaloo and could have been trying to lure me into a trap. Then again if that was the case it would be weird considering how she didn't try to kill me."_

The major would soon be snapped from his thoughts as the pilot's voice called out over the intercom.

_"We are now approaching the Thunderfoot reservation. Touchdown should occur in approximately three minutes," _the pilot barked as the other occupants snapped to attention and prepared for the landing.

Within minutes the chopper was touching down outside of the aforementioned reservation and Guile stepped into the bright sunlight, forcing him to pull out the very sunglasses Charlie had given him as a birthday present years ago.

"We're here," reported one of the government officials, "Welcome to the Thunderfoot Reservation, still in the process of being rebuilt after one of its best fighters managed to reclaim their land from Shadaloo," the man spoke, motioning towards the village in the distance, which at this point consisted of a few small buildings and others that were being constructed.

A black jeep drove towards them from the small village and they stood ready to receive their guide.

Once the jeep came to a halt they were met by a tan-skinned man wearing a cowboy hat and plaid shirt with a file in hand.

"Are you Major Guile?" the man asked right away.

"Speaking," the major replied.

"Jose Red Feather, Thunderfoot Tribal Police," he said extending his hand towards Guile, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," Guile replied as he received a file from the tribal officer and began skimming through it, finding a picture of a young brown-haired woman who stared towards the camera with an empty gaze.

"The woman you see in that photograph is Julia Hauser, a resident of our village who was kidnapped and brainwashed several years ago by the Shadaloo organization. She had been rescued by our very own Thunder Hawk and was reported to have been in a catatonic state for the past few years, until the other day," Officer Red Feather explained as the major read through.

Hearing those words made Guile's blood boil as he thought of Shadaloo causing more trouble. It also made him think back to what he had seen in that file the other day. He clenched his fists together and had to compose himself before speaking.

"What else do you know of this attack?" the airman asked, keeping his question short and straight to the point.

"Our only witness will explain things further to you. Her name is Liana Little Eagle and she too was under Shadaloo's control at one point," the officer replied.

"Then I must talk to her immediately," Guile said handing the file back to him and climbing into the man's jeep.

"Sure thing sir," Officer Red Feather replied climbing into his jeep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_San Francisco, California U.S.A._

_ "Will this driveway ever end?" _Allen Snider asked himself as he drove his S.U.V. around another turn along a paved road that cut through a heavily wooded area. _"What am I saying? I asked myself that question ten minutes ago."_

Nevertheless he continued to push himself forward.

_"I'm surprised this place doesn't have its own zip code," _he thought as he noticed the growing rays of light indicating that he was getting closer to the end. "Just a little closer," he whispered as he turned down the rock music blasting over his radio.

When he finally reached the opening his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"I knew the Masters family had a lot of money, but goddamn!" he shouted to nobody in particular as he pulled up to a mansion that put the White House to shame, one that he could only dream of living in. He made his way around the grand fountain at the center of the courtyard and pulled to a halt alongside a beautiful red Ferrari.

It was an almost overwhelming sight to the Southern fighter, who came from humble beginnings, as he took in his surroundings.

_"Man, now I know I need to get serious about kicking more ass so I can make this much money," _Allen thought to himself as he made his way up the stairs and rung the doorbell.

He waited patiently for someone to answer the door, only to be greeted by a voice over an intercom system.

_"Hello there. This is the Masters residence. May I please ask who I'm speaking to?" _an older voice with traces of a British accent called out.

It was then that he noticed the speaker unit above the doorbell and a red button he could push to reply.

"This is Allen Snider speaking. I am an old friend of Ken's," he politely spoke.

A click sounded from the other end and the door opened to reveal a man with graying black hair and dressed in an elegant black butler's suit.

"Ah Mr. Snider, Mr. Masters has spoken of you in the past. I do not recall him saying whether or not he was expecting your presence, but I will take you to him at once," the butler nodded.

"Thank you," Allen replied as he was led through the building to the estate's spacious backyard, where he found his old friend clad in his trademark red karate gi, locked in the middle of a sparring match with a dark-skinned teenager who was clad in a yellow gi similar to his.

"C'mon Sean, you have to focus! You're leaving yourself open to too many attacks," Ken replied as he delivered a roundhouse kick to the kid's face that sent him flying backwards to the ground, "See what I mean?"

The youth called Sean forced himself back to his feet and rubbed his sore cheek, "Yes Master!" he grunted before resuming his fighting stance.

"Ken Masters, long time no see!" Allen called out, wanting to save the kid from further punishment.

The blond-haired combatant stopped everything he was doing to greet his fellow martial artist, "Allen Snider? Holy cow man, I haven't seen you in a long time!"

He quickly ran over to shake the man's hand, "What brings you around here?"

"Eh, was just in the area, thought I'd drop by and see how things are going," Allen replied, just as the teenager cleared his throat from behind Ken.

"Oh, Allen this is my student Sean Matsuda," Ken said motioning towards the new pupil.

"Pleased to meet you sir," Sean said extending his gloved hand.

"Likewise," Allen nodded.

"Ken, I just wanted to let you know lunch is about to be served!" a feminine voice called out from behind, "Henrietta made your favorite pasta!"

The three men turned to find Eliza standing in the doorway holding the infant Mel in her arms.

"Hey Eliza, look who's here to join us!" Ken said motioning towards Allen.

"Allen? Oh my god, we haven't seen you in quite a long time. How have you been?" she asked as she ran over to embrace the Southern martial artist.

"I've been doing just fine. Been competing in a few tournaments here and there, got my new dojo up and running, still looking for a woman, but other than that I've been doing just fine," Allen replied as he looked down to the blond-haired baby, "It looks like we've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Indeed we do, but never on an empty stomach," Ken said rubbing his belly in emphasis, "After you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Phoenix, Arizona U.S.A._

_ "I'm still too far away," _Abel thought to himself as he was the last passenger to step off the bus, knowing this was the end of the line for this particular route and all he could afford for the time being.

The final stop was located near a small diner and travel plaza where he saw all sorts of people either shopping, enjoying a meal, working on their vehicles or just chatting. A small group of teenagers hung out near a spray painted van playing hacky sack, while another group stood around a pimped out lowrider blasting hip-hop tunes and not too far from them, a group of motorcyclists conversed amongst themselves. In the distance, a young couple walked hand in hand, sharing a passionate kiss with plenty of ancient rock formations in the distance.

Abel exhaled deeply and made his way over to the diner deciding he would get himself a quick meal before planning out his next move.

By chance in Metro City he had encountered an old war buddy of William Guile's, the very man he had come to the States looking for, and managed to acquire his address. At this point he was still over three hundred miles away from his intended destination and would need to find another means of getting there.

Before he could reach the diner he was suddenly distracted by the roar of a motorcycle engine and turned to see a black motorcycle come speeding into view and made an abrupt turn into the parking lot, nearly tipping over thanks to the driver's massive girth.

"Boy I tell you Candy I sure am hungry!" the driver called out as he dismounted the bike and stretched his limbs out, his bulbous gut swaying back and forth with every movement.

"Oh Rufus you never cease to amaze me!" called out his passenger, an attractive, but not very bright redheaded woman.

"Always glad to oblige buttercup," Rufus called out as the woman struggled to throw her arms around his grossly obese form, "Every master needs to maintain his figure. It's just a natural part of his training, always gotta look good when the cameras are rolling, but everything else not on camera is just for you my precious little angel!"

The overweight man spoke in a loud boastful tone that drew stares from the other inhabitants, but he didn't seem to notice anything as he exchanged a sloppy kiss with his girlfriend, which made the Frenchman nearly throw up inside his mouth.

"Oh, you must excuse me dear; I really need to use the ladies' room!" Candy spoke before delivering a quick peck to his cheek.

"No problem sweetie, you know I'm gonna be out here guarding my baby and waiting for you…well I meant that you're my baby, but my bike is an actual baby," the Kung Fu expert called out as she made her way inside.

Abel sighed at the disgusting sight and was about to make his way inside when the man suddenly called out to him.

"Hey you!" he called out in his gruff tone, forcing the Frenchman to stop and stare at him. "Yeah you, I'm talking to you!"

"May I help you?" Abel asked while lowering his travel bag.

"Yeah, I know who you are! Don't be playing dumb with me boy!" the man grunted.

Not knowing what to expect, the French grappler set his bag aside as a few worried patrons looked on.

"You can't run from me Ken Masters! That's right, this is your day of reckoning little man!" the fat man guffawed.

Sighing quietly Abel picked up his travel bag and went to enter the diner when the obese yellow-clad warrior called out again.

"Hey, don't you walk away from me boy! I'm challenging you to see who truly is the best fighter in all of America!" Rufus exclaimed.

"You have me mistaken for someone else. I am not Ken Masters," the amnesiac fighter responded.

"You might be able to afford yourself some fancy shmancy plastic surgery, but you still ain't foolin' me pretty boy! Nothing escapes the mighty Rufus! You hear me? Nothing escapes the mighty Rufus! Nothing!" the man called out as he went into a weird fighting stance.

_"Looks like I might have no other choice. This creep will probably harass me until I give in," _Abel thought as the man began punching away wildly at the air in front of him and letting out some wild screams that were probably his attempt at Fei-Long-style battle cries.

"Fine, have at you then," Abel replied as he went into his own fighting stance, "But don't say that I didn't give you the chance to run away."

Rufus laughed stridently at the remark, "The almighty Lord Rufus never runs from a fight! I'm too famous for that y'know, it would ruin my street cred for me to just up and run from some tiny little worm!"

"Are we going to do this then? Or are you going to just sit around and talk all day?" Abel called out as several of the tourists began gathering around.

An idea suddenly popped into the Frenchman's head.

"Say I'll make you a wager. How about if I win, you have to give me a ride to Pasadena?"

Again Rufus laughed at the question, laughing to the point he began to wheeze.

"Okay…you're on Ken Masters…but you're making a big mistake…because the mighty Rufus…never loses a battle!" the big man called out in between gasps.

Without warning, the fat man suddenly leapt into the air with amazing speed and agility for a man his size to perform his first attack.

"MESSIAH!" he called out as he executed a graceful back flip kick that Abel was forced to perform his Marseilles Roll to avoid.

Landing on his feet, it was the Frenchman's turn to go airborne as he attempted his Wheel Kick, but the Kung Fu expert brought his fists up to block the attack and responded with a high kick to his stomach, displaying flexibility he hadn't expected from a man that overweight.

"This is gonna be a piece of cake!" the fat man called out as he delivered a hard palm strike to Abel's chest and followed up with a high roundhouse kick that sent his opponent crashing to the pavement. "Mmmm…cake!"

The French grappler hit the ground hard, yet pushed himself back to his feet and shrugged the pain off. He leapt into the air attempting a flying kick, but was again caught by surprise as his opponent leapt met him in the air and unleashed a flurry of rapid fire jabs upon him, striking him several times and sending him falling back to the earth.

"Face it Ken Masters! I'm the better man and you'll never beat me! Give it up now while I'm still merciful enough to let you walk away!" Rufus laughed.

_"This fat pig is seriously starting to piss me off," _Abel thought as he struggled to control his anger and waited for the big man to come at him again, only now it was his turn to catch him by surprise.

"Wh-Whoa! Hey! No fair!" Rufus called out as the French fighter executed his 'Change of Direction' attack, spinning him around and following up with an overhead hooking punch, followed by a low punch that caught him in his bulging gut, hard enough for him to actually feel it. While the big man staggered, Abel followed with an upward elbow strike that struck him hard in the chin.

"Hey, not the face man, my girlfriend ain't gonna love me anymore if you're gonna damage the goods!" Rufus complained.

"Your face should be the least of your worries," Abel replied as he went for a high roundhouse kick, which Rufus blocked, followed by a combo of punches and elbows which the Kung Fu master either dodged or parried and then followed up with another special attack.

"GALACTIC TORNADO!" the yellow-clad man called out as he spun his body rapidly, sucking his opponent towards him like a vacuum and netting multiple hits before finishing him off with a hard strike to the stomach that sent him flying backwards.

"Oh crap…that was just too much…" Rufus grumbled as he tried to shake off the lingering dizziness.

Abel again forced himself back to his feet and shrugged off the pain, _"I've gotta hand it to this guy, for a loudmouthed buffoon he's good."_

The American martial artist finally shook away the dizziness and slapped his face repeatedly to make himself focus. "Okay, I'm back in the game…now where was I? Oh yeah, I was in the middle of kicking your worthless punk ass!" he shouted before he again leapt into the air.

This time Abel was ready for him and caught the big man by his foot, slamming him hard into the ground.

"Whoa!" the yellow-clad fighter grunted as he bounced hard off the ground and struggled back to his feet.

"Okay, you're really starting to ask for it now you good for nothing poseur," Rufus spat as he popped his shoulder back into place.

"Am I?" Abel mockingly inquired as he waited for his opponent to make his next move. Noting the big man's beet red face, he was starting to lose his cool and would probably resort to any kind of brash movement he could think of.

"Why you!" Rufus grunted as he charged recklessly towards his opponent, only to be grabbed by the collar of his jumpsuit.

_"If this can work on that nearly eight foot tall giant back in Metro City, it can certainly work on a four-hundred plus pound bag of hot air," _Abel thought to himself as he used all his might to swing the man around a few times before finally slamming him down onto the cement, taking a lot out of himself in the process.

_"Probably going to be the last time I try that," _the Frenchman told himself as he felt the pain course through his muscles and struggled to stand upright.

"You're…gonna pay for that!" Rufus grunted as he forced himself back to his feet and tried another spinning roundhouse kick, which his opponent ducked underneath and followed up with a flurry of punches before taking him back to the ground with a sweeping kick and then kicking him hard in the side, sending him rolling over onto his stomach.

"I would really give it up right now if I were you friend. I don't want to put you in the infirmary if you're going to be my means of transportation," Abel called out from a safe distance as the obese man again struggled to his feet.

"Never…has Lord Rufus ever surrendered…never!" the fat man called out as he struggled to stay upright, "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings…and I don't see me no fat lady nor hear any music!"

_"But I can see a huge fat behemoth before me," _Abel shuddered in disgust as he waited for the yellow-clad fighter to make his next move.

"You're really asking for it now little man…BIG BANG TYPHOON!" Rufus called out as his body flashed and he began spinning towards his opponent at a superhuman speed, like a huge yellow tornado.

Abel saw the man rushing towards him and barely leapt over the move just in time, feeling the heavy breeze beneath his feet before he landed.

"Now to return the favor," the French fighter whispered to himself as Rufus' attack reached its end, the overweight fighter panting heavily and struggling to maintain his balance.

Charging towards his opponent, Abel caught the big man and began rolling along the ground with him at a rapid pace, stopping only as he slammed him hard into the side of a toilet block.

"Oh man…did anybody get the number on that pick up truck…" Rufus gasped as he sat slumped against the brick building, which had heavily cracked underneath his mass.

"Alright mon ami, I beat you fair and square. Now I believe we made a deal. I need a ride to Pasadena," Abel explained as he knelt before the stunned Kung Fu master.

"Fine, but please…don't tell Candy you kicked my butt…she'd never speak to me ever again. Just tell her that I got all banged up trying to protect the people from some group of weird…space monkey ninjas…" Rufus asked as he began struggling back to his feet.

"You have my word," Abel replied as he took the flabby man by the arm and pulled him back to his feet.

"Oh my god Rufus!" Candy called out as she exited the diner and started running towards the two men.

"Well now's your chance," Abel said as he helped his fallen opponent over to his girlfriend.

"Uh hey bub, can we at least stop and get something to eat before we go? All this fighting is giving me the munchies," Rufus asked as Candy made her way over.

"Sure thing," Abel nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Thunderfoot Reservation, Monte Alban Plains, Mexico_

The jeep pulled to a halt outside a small cabin and Guile stepped out to find a young woman sitting in a rocking chair with a bald eagle perched on her shoulder.

"Major William Guile, I would like for you to meet Liana Little Eagle," Officer Red Feather spoke motioning towards the woman. Guile walked over and shook her hand.

"A pleasure to meet you," the major spoke in a calm empathetic tone, feeling sympathy for the woman's plight.

"Thank you," Little Eagle replied, "They say he's going to make it, but he's still hurting pretty bad," she added in reference to her adopted brother.

"Yes, I'm aware of what happened and I'm deeply sorry," Guile replied before getting down to business. "So tell me what you all saw."

"There isn't really anything to tell you that I haven't already told Officer Red Feather, Major Guile. I was going to meet up with Thunder Hawk and when I got there, Julia was trying to kill him," she paused to rub her teary eyes. "I did what I could to stop her, but I still don't know why she did it or how she could have. All I remember her is her being in a coma…like she never had any idea of what was going on around her…and then suddenly this."

"I understand what's going on. Believe me, I've spent years dealing with Shadaloo and I'm very certain your friend wasn't acting under her own free will when she did this," the major replied, taking off his sunglasses so she could see into his eyes.

"Shadaloo…" the young woman shuddered, "…big brother told me how he had saved me from those people…but I don't remember anything about it. He said they took our land away from us and that they did so many other horrible things. He said I could have been a part of it…" she trailed before pausing herself, noting she was in the presence of two authority figures who could have arrested her on sight.

"Well whatever happened I'm sure you had no control over your actions and I'm sure it's a good thing you don't remember any of it," Guile replied, noting the nightmares he often had of Charlie dying before his very eyes.

_"But then again, they never found his body," _he told himself as he stared off into the distance, gripping the dog tags hanging around his neck.

"Major Guile?" Officer Red Feather asked tapping him hard on the shoulder.

"Oh…I'm terribly sorry," the airman replied before composing himself and looking back to the woman, "Ma'am you can rest assured we're going to do everything in our power to find your friend and bring down those who are responsible for this ordeal."

"Damn right you're going to. I want to help," Little Eagle boldly declared rising to her feet, "I know Julia would never have done that had she been moving under her own free will. I want to find who did this to her and make her pay."

Both men were taken aback by her sudden outburst and stared quietly towards her before Guile finally spoke up.

"Ms. Little Eagle, I feel your pain, but this is a mission that must be left to the authorities. We cannot risk endangering civilians against these dangerous people," Guile explained.

Little Eagle scowled towards him, "I'm no defenseless civilian and I will not be denied in my quest for revenge against those who hurt my brother and brainwashed my friend. I must help you out in any way I can…so that I can atone for the sins I committed under their control," she finished, looking away in shame.

Again Guile remained silent. He could feel her pain in knowing how much damage Shadaloo had caused. At the same time, he didn't want to risk losing any more innocent lives to the sinister organization.

"I'm deeply sorry Ms. Little Eagle, but I stand firmly by my ruling. The U.S. government is working in cooperation with several other governments from around the world. We will bring down Shadaloo one way or another. Now please, let us do our job," Guile replied as he placed his sunglasses back on.

Little Eagle said nothing and continued to look away.

"Okay Major, I'll take you back to your rendezvous point," Officer Red Feather spoke up from the background and the major turned to acknowledge him.

Little Eagle watched as the jeep made its way down the trail and sighed quietly.

_"I'm going to get back at Shadaloo one way or another, regardless of whether or not they want my help. They must pay for what they have done…I must have my redemption," _the young woman thought as the jeep disappeared from sight.

"Come on Libertad, let's get going," she spoke to her brother's pet eagle and they made their way over to her dirt bike.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Hong Kong_

"Okay, do you mind telling me exactly why you've brought me here of all places?" Chun-Li hollered over the roaring crowd as she and her partner Wallace made their way through a lively audience.

"We've been working way too hard lately!" the American Interpol operative shouted back as he moved around to avoid a rowdy fan in a blue and gold mask, "I figure what better way to unwind than by watching some good old fashioned professional wrestling!" he continued.

Chun-Li sighed in irritation, _"That's typical 'male entertainment' for you," _she thought as she made her way down the flight of stairs, watching carefully to make sure none of the rowdy fans had spilled their drinks or dropped any other litter that would make her walk more hazardous than it already was. The two of them were in a large arena and still had a ways to go before they could reach the front row seats Wallace had managed to score thanks to his 'connections.'

If the slippery stairs weren't enough of a problem for her, it was the fans screaming and chanting for their favorite wrestlers, threatening to pop her eardrums at any second.

_"This is the last time I let Wallace pick the event we go to," _she promised herself as she ducked under a box of popcorn being tossed into the opposite section and sped up her pace so she could avoid the brewing confrontation between two fans in attendance.

Eventually she would reach the front row and plopped herself down in the seat Wallace had reserved for her, her powerful legs aching after all the walking she had just done.

"You know typically my idea of relaxing involves a warm meal and a bubble bath afterward, not a bunch of behemoths beating the crap out of each other in their underwear!" the detective shouted over to her partner.

"That or going out and shooting things," Wallace laughed as she stood up alongside him, "Speaking of which, have you signed up for that shooting competition they're sponsoring next month?"

"I haven't had the time. I've been too busy with tracking down those monitor cyborgs all around China. That one I found over at Victoria Harbor the other day took me nearly a week to track down," she replied.

She then turned her attention to the ring where a match was currently taking place, "Since when were you such a huge fan of wrestling?"

"Since I first saw Mike 'Macho' Haggar pile drive that creep Scorpion straight through the mat to win the C.W.A. World Heavyweight Championship!" Wallace shouted back as he returned his attention to the ring.

An inter-gender tag team match was currently in progress, where on one side the famed Mexican luchador and aspiring gourmet chef El Fuerte teamed with Japanese women's wrestling champion Rainbow Mika. In their corner was a big, loudmouthed woman in a golf cart named Yoko Harmageddon who slapped her shinai hard against the ring's canvas in an attempt to motivate her charges.

On the other side was a towering colossus from India named Darun Mister and his partner, a blue-haired femme fatale from England named Blair Dame. In their corner was a young woman dressed like an Arabian princess named Pullum Purna.

It was very fast paced contest as El Fuerte ducked a running lariat from the Indian giant and performed a graceful forward flip that drew many "ooh's" and "ahh's" as he landed perfectly on the top rope and then flipped forward again, landing behind his opponent and rolling along the mat before kipping back to his feet, drawing wild applause with his display of athleticism.

"Sorry Senor Darun, not today!" the luchador shouted to his opponent, "Although when this fight is over I would be interested in learning more about some of the spicy Indian food I hear so much about!" he added at the last second.

"Well that's gonna have to wait until later. Right now, we fight!" Darun shouted back as he attempted to grab his much smaller opponent, but El Fuerte dodged his attempt and answered with a dropkick that caught the muscular man in the side, but failed to slow him down. The masked Mexican fighter attempted a few more lightning quick attacks until the big man finally caught him.

"Not so fast now are you insect?" Darun called out as the smaller man tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but he easily overpowered him with his great strength and leaned backward.

"INDRA BRIDGE!" he called out as he bounced the smaller man off his chest and sent him flying backward and bouncing hard off the ropes.

"Aye carumba," the luchador gasped as he struggled back to his feet, using the ropes for leverage.

"Fuerte quick over here!" Mika called out extending her hand towards him, signaling that she wanted to be tagged in. With a nod, the Mexican wrestler leapt over and slapped her hand.

The crowd came alive as the charismatic Japanese grappler was now in the contest and she quickly flung herself over the top rope and into a special attack.

"SHOOTING PEACH!" she called out as she launched herself butt first into the Indian giant's chest, knocking him from his feet.

"Quick, Darun!" Blair called out as she eagerly reached over the top rope, wanting to be tagged into the match.

He still had plenty of energy in his system and could easily take the Japanese woman, but he knew that if he wanted to keep it he would have to take a breather and reached over to slap the woman's outstretched hand.

Blair climbed through the ropes and charged towards her opponent, sliding feet first along the canvas and connecting with Mika's legs, wrapping her own around them and twisting her to the ground before attempting a leg lock on her which the Japanese grappler struggled to counter.

"I applaud you efforts, but it won't be you walking away from this match the victor tonight," the English fighter grunted as she struggled to maintain the hold.

Despite her excellent leg strength, Mika was struggling within the woman's vice-like grip as fatigue set in and didn't want to admit it, but feared she could very well be on the verge of submission.

From out of nowhere, Blair was suddenly forced to release the hold as a body fell on top of her.

"Gotta watch your back amiga!" El Fuerte called out, having just landed on his opponent with his Tostada Press.

Darun saw the intrusion and thanks to his great height, stepped over the top rope. He charged towards the luchador and was about to execute another lariat when the smaller man leapt into the air and wrapped his legs around his body to execute his trademark 'Guacamole Leg Throw.'

"Hell yeah, now that's vintage El Fuerte for you!" Wallace shouted pumping his fist in the air triumphantly.

Chun-Li couldn't help but smile at her partner's excitement. He was almost like a little kid going to his first ever big athletic event with his parents.

In truth, the Chinese detective had already been to a wrestling event when she attended a C.W.A. show in Los Angeles along with Charlie. She could still recall the main event, which had been a tag team bout between an old friend of Charlie's named Lucky "Gunloc" Colt and his tag team partner Biff Slamkovich taking on an 'odd couple' pairing consisting of high-flying Japanese superstar The Great Oni and some weird animal-like man named King Rasta Mon who reminded her much of that mutant fighter from Brazil named Blanka.

_"Yeah, I remember that alright…I remember how that pervert Gunloc tried picking me up afterward, claiming he hadn't been with an Asian woman since his days in the service," _she thought to herself with a shudder.

The Interpol agent was shaken from her train of thought as she scanned the entire front row area, only to stop as she spotted a figure in a long red cloak with a hood covering its face, truly an unusual sight for an indoor environment.

"That's odd," she whispered to herself as the obscured figure stood perfectly still with statue-like posture. "Wallace, do you see that person over there?" she asked, tugging on her partner's coat sleeve.

The American agent stopped everything he was doing and stared in the direction which his partner was pointing, "What person? I see thousands of people here," he replied with an awkward stare.

"That person over there in the red cloak!" Chun-Li said pointing over to the opposite side of the floor, which was currently obstructed as Darun Mister's massive form had been knocked to the canvas and was in the midst of being stomped on by both of his opponents until his partner charged to his rescue with a flying kick.

"That person-" she tried to shout, but was cut off as the wrestlers moved out of the way and the cloaked person was nowhere to be found, "What the hell?"

"Are you sure you're not just seeing things?" Wallace asked diverting his gaze from the wrestling match and staring at her intently, "Do you need to get out of here?"

"No, I'm fine, but seriously I just saw somebody over there. They were wearing this long red coat and I couldn't see their face or anything else!" she had to shout the sentence as the crowd popped for El Fuerte executing his 'El Fuerte Flying Giga Buster' attack.

_"Where the hell did you go?" _Chun-Li asked herself as she searched through the sea of humanity for the cloaked figure, but knew it would be next to impossible.

"What the?" she blurted out.

Looking to her left she spotted the same figure staring towards her beneath its hood before making its way up the arena stairs.

"How the hell did they do that?" she asked aloud and looked over to get Wallace's attention, but by now he was going crazy along with the rest of the crowd as they anticipated the match's conclusion.

_"No time to wait for his stubborn ass," _the detective told herself as she pushed past the lively spectators towards the steps and rushed after the mysterious individual.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_"Okay, now where the hell could that person have gone off to?" _Chun-Li asked herself as she browsed every inch of the building's main corridor, which was mostly empty aside from a few vendors and custodial workers.

_"Wallace is going to kick my ass for leaving him high and dry, but I need to get to the bottom of this," _she reminded herself as she took a left turn down a less-populated hallway, noting she had wandered a sizeable distance from her front row seat and left without warning her partner of her departure.

Seeing no innocent bystanders nearby, the detective reached into her purse and withdrew her gun, creeping along and listening for anything out of the ordinary. The muffled roar of the crowd hampered her hearing slightly, so she kept her head moving in all directions.

The clatter of wood on linoleum echoed from a confined space to the side, making Chun-Li nearly jump out of her boots. When no threats appeared she quickly composed herself and hugged her back along the wall, creeping towards the corner ready for whoever was back there and ready to act quickly. Reaching the end, she took a deep breath and leapt into the open.

"Freeze!" she shouted.

A short, plump janitor jumped back in terror with his hands raised into the air, whimpering as he noticed the gun trained upon him.

Before Chun-Li could utter an apology her gun was knocked from her hands.

"Damn," she grunted clutching her sore hand with the other, only to collapse against the wall as she was struck on the shoulder from behind.

Standing behind her was a young woman in a black bodysuit with long black hair styled into two waist-length braids. In her hands she twirled a nunchaku with the grace of a master and kept swinging it as if she were attempting to intimidate her opponent into surrender.

The entire time her delicate-looking face remained unmoving, almost as if were carved from stone, and a cold, unfeeling look in her eyes told that she was ready to kill if necessary.

Chun-Li didn't have time to rub her sore shoulder and forced herself into her fighting stance. A flash of red from the background crept into the corner of her eye and she noticed it was a cloak.

_"So you're the person I was looking for?" _she mentally asked her assailant as the woman stared intently at her, never blinking her chocolate-colored eyes.

Strangely, the woman also seemed familiar to her for some odd reason, but from where she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Interpol! Freeze at once!" Chun-Li announced as her training kicked in, "You are under arrest for assaulting an officer of the law!"

"Engaging target!" the young woman announced and charged towards her swinging her nunchaku wildly.

_"Time to act," _the detective told herself.

"HYAKURETSU-KYAKU!" she shouted as she unleashed a flurry of rapid fire kicks to counter the swift strikes, deflecting them all with pinpoint accuracy. Before her assailant could react the detective was already upon her with another special attack.

"KIKOKEN!" Chun-Li shouted as she fired a bright blue projectile that caught her opponent in the stomach and sent her flying back against the wall. Somehow though, the petite woman shrugged it off and responded with a special attack of her own.

"SPIRAL ARROW!" she called out as she launched herself feet first towards the detective, who had known of the move from facing Cammy in the past and leapt over it, catching herself against a wall and rebounding from it with her foot extended.

The woman brought her fist up and blocked the kick with unexpected strength and agility, even her block had hurt and Chun-Li felt a fresh wave of pain shoot through her foot and up her lower leg. With a smirk crossing her blank features, the young woman caught her with a thrust kick to the stomach and then spun her body, delivering a powerful backhanded shot that snapped her head backwards and sent her skidding along the linoleum.

Chun-Li grunted in pain, but just as she shot her eyes open she found herself rolling off to the side to avoid a staff being swung downward at her face.

"What the hell?" she blurted out as she pushed herself back to her feet, only to dodge another shot directed at her.

Before her stood another young woman similar in build and dress to her assailant, except she had reddish-brown hair. In her hands she wielded a quarterstaff, which she spun around before going for a low sweep directed at her target's ankles.

Chun-Li leapt over the strike and delivered a split kick, which the second attacker would use her staff to deflect. She still hadn't forgotten about her first assailant and found herself wishing she had an extra pair of eyes in the back of her head as the woman landed behind her. It was time to unleash another special attack.

"SPINNING BIRD KICK!" she cried as she twisted herself upside down in midair and extended her legs, spinning around like a hurricane and finally managing to score a clean strike on each opponent simultaneously.

Unfortunately, both women quickly shrugged off the blows and called out in unison, "DEATH CROSS DANCING!"

Chun-Li had no time to defend herself as the two women began pelting her all over her body with an assortment of kicks, making her feel as if she were being shoved through a ringer. The attack didn't last long, but it had felt like an eternity as the detective fell to the floor with bruises all over her body.

As if they could smell blood, the two women nodded to each other.

BANG!

A gunshot echoed through the corridor and the dark-haired assassin collapsed to the floor after a bullet ripped through her upper leg. The woman didn't cry out in pain nor did she grimace after being hit, she showed no signs of anguish at all, almost as if she was incapable of registering pain.

Chun-Li looked up to see Wallace standing in the corridor's entrance with a smoking gun in hand, flanked by a small army of arena security guards.

"Give it up! You're both under arrest!" he shouted to the women.

The lighter-haired woman reached into a pouch and pulled out a small circular object.

"Oh crap! Hit the deck!" Wallace shouted to the guards and they threw themselves out of reach as the object clanked against the floor and came to a halt at the entrance, not knowing whether or not it was an explosive.

A hiss sounded as numerous jets of black smoke shot out of the small grenade. It didn't appear to be lethal, but it stung Chun-Li's eyes and left her coughing heavily, as well as a few of the guards who hadn't been fortunate enough to get far away.

"Chun-Li, are you alright?" Wallace called out as he swatted the smoke out of his way, covering his mouth and nose with a cloth as he searched frantically for his partner.

"I'm still here," she called back as the smoke began to slowly dissipate and it was then she gasped in shock.

Both of the women had vanished without a trace!

Wallace finally caught up to his partner and knelt down beside her, helping her into an upright position. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked staring at the small puddle of blood left behind after shooting that mysterious woman.

"I have no clue, but I wouldn't doubt Shadaloo has a hand in this," Chun-Li replied staring towards the abandoned cloak.

"Well whatever it is, we need to get you looked at immediately," he replied as he helped his partner back to her feet and let some security guards take her away as he pulled out a cell phone to notify their headquarters.

Chun-Li was sore, but would live to fight another day. However there was one thought that wouldn't leave her mind.

_"Who was that woman and why did she seem so familiar?" _she asked herself as she looked back to find Wallace picking up the discarded cloak.

Author's Note:

Originally Rufus' appearance in Ch. 2 was meant to be his only appearance in the story, but then again this happened _before_ I ever had the chance to play "Super Street Fighter 4" and now that I've had a chance to actually play the game, I've decided to slightly expand upon his role in the story.

"Chun-Li attended a wrestling event of all things?" you might ask yourself, well when I looked back upon writing this scene I suddenly remembered that Chun-Li makes a background cameo as a member of the crowd in the original "Saturday Night Slam Masters."

For those of you who don't remember, "Saturday Night Slam Masters" was a highly-awesome, yet highly-underrated 2-D professional wrestling game made by Capcom back in the early 90's which featured "Final Fight's" very own Mike Haggar!

*Sighs* How I miss the old-school 2-D fighting and wrestling games in general, and I'm sure I'm making MiggyMeista feel a little nostalgic as well as I type this and I'll continue feeling like this until they decide to reboot the "Slam Masters" franchise, or at least incorporate some of their characters into a Street Fighter game seeing as how their games actually take place in the same universal continuity as Street Fighter and Final Fight.

Screw the WWE games and their "realistic" wrestlers, I wish Capcom would bring back the beast men, high-flying kabuki guys, futuristic grapplers, wrestlers who can throw fireballs and crazed military veterans who actually incorporate grenades into their matches!

On a side note, I decided to make it where Charlie and Gunloc (or "Lucky Colt" as he is known as in Japan) knew each other because a lot of Gunloc's quotes imply that he must have been a soldier or something before becoming a professional wrestler.

Alright, well I've ranted on for long enough so until then, read and review or else I'm sending Dan over to your house to taunt you into submission!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	8. No Rest for the Wicked

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: I know it's taken me slightly longer to get this chapter cranked out, but I once again have a job for the time being (a seasonal position why I say "for the time being") and that's sidetracked me for a bit, but I've come back to you stronger than before baby! Once again, read and review when you get the time!

Now on with the story!

Chapter 8: No Rest for the Wicked

Ryu walked alone in the vast arid desert, under a sweltering sun and lugging a hefty travel bag over his shoulder. It was nothing new for the wandering warrior; he had traveled through worse conditions before.

His destination was yet another tournament, where he would probably fight for some extra money, yet gain nothing on a spiritual level that would enable him to reach his fullest potential.

_"It's been so long since I've had a meaningful fight that I learned anything from," _he told himself as he approached a hill, _"and with what Retsu told me about feeling that strange power that he thought could possibly have been Master Gouken…I haven't been able to expel that thought from my mind either."_

Just as the warrior reached the hill's summit, he would stop and freeze in horror at what stood beneath him.

Waiting at the base of the hill was a bronze-skinned figure clad in a charcoal gray karate gi with burning red eyes and fang-like teeth.

"It cannot be…it's…me!" he whispered to himself, staring at his own mirror image.

"Hello Ryu, glad you finally decided to show up!" the figure spat in a hoarse, demonic tone that sent chills up and down his spine, reminding him so much of Akuma.

And then it hit him.

From those who had been near him during his battle with the Satsui no Hadou, the figure before him matched the exact description his friends had given him.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm you!" the dark figure spoke before teleporting towards him, much in the same manner as Akuma. "Don't you remember all the fun we had?" the evil mirror image inquired as it now stood nose to nose with him.

"What are you doing here?" Ryu finally spoke, unable to hide the anxiety in his tone, "Master Gouken sealed you away! You should never have been able to come back!"

The evil mirror image laughed in reply, "You honestly think that feeble buffoon could seal me away forever?"

"What the hell do you want from me?" Ryu demanded, dropping his travel bag.

An evil booming laugh came from the duplicate before it replied, "I want to play Ryu! My fists hunger for blood!"

There was no other alternative. Ryu knew he would have to fight.

"No! I will never allow you to control me ever again!" the warrior bravely asserted as he went into his fighting stance, "You will leave me alone!"

Again the demonic apparition laughed in reply, "Is that so? Face it Ryu, you cannot escape me!"

The last words the demon spoke echoed throughout the land.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME!" the voice repeated over and over again, growing in volume with every utterance to the point it began to shake the world all around.

Ryu gasped aloud as he clamped his hands over his ears doing whatever he could to shut the voice out, but it was no use. At the same time he struggled to maintain his footing as the ground quaked beneath him.

"What's going on?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper as the loud rumbling muted everything else aside from the demon's echo.

The world suddenly opened up beneath him and the vagabond found himself falling into what appeared to be an endless abyss.

"!"

The descent ended as abruptly as it began and before Ryu knew it he was standing on solid ground again.

"What the…" he muttered as he opened his eyes and found himself standing in a darkened room filled with fog.

"This is too unreal," he said aloud looking around his current surroundings.

"It is only as unreal as you allow it to be," a woman's voice called out.

"Who's there?" Ryu shouted, his voice echoing as if he were stuck in a long corridor.

"Someone you are familiar with," the voice repeated as a pillar of light shone down from above illuminating a single red rose sprouting out of nothingness.

"It has been far too long," the woman called out and with those words, the rose began growing to enormous proportions until it developed into the form of a beautiful woman in an elegant red evening gown.

Ryu could only gasp in disbelief as the woman smiled upon him, "Rose?"

"Hello Ryu. I apologize if I startled you, but it is urgent that I talk to you immediately," the woman spoke before levitating towards him.

"Why have you come to me? The last time I saw you, you were trying to stop Bison. We destroyed him didn't we?" the warrior inquired.

A small frown crossed Rose's lips and she shook her head, "I am afraid Bison's supposed demise was nothing more than an illusion, an illusion brought upon by his own science."

"So he's back…and probably plotting to take over the world again," Ryu grunted in disgust.

"That you guessed correctly," the fortuneteller reported before her eyes again focused on him, "But it is not him that you should be worried about."

Ryu stared quizzically towards her before her words finally made sense.

"I saw an illusion of myself…when I was under the influence of the Satsui no Hadou…" he trailed off, feeling his muscles tense all over at the thought, "…it said I couldn't escape it, but why? Master Gouken sealed it off…or so I thought…," he uttered before staring uneasily towards the woman, "…could I be at risk of falling under its spell again?"

Again Rose shook her head at him, "Indeed your master did his work. The Satsui no Hadou is sealed off and you are forever freed from succumbing to its influence ever again, but it isn't yourself you should be worried about."

Another name quickly came to mind.

"Akuma…" Ryu gasped, "…is it him? I thought I knocked him to his death from that cliff the last time we met. I should've known it would be too good to be true."

"Again, you are only enslaved by limitations of what you believe to be illusion and what you believe to be fact," the fortuneteller added before cocking her eyebrow at him, "After all, you believed your beloved sensei to have passed on, but fortunately that was not the case."

Rose's words struck a nerve with the vagabond and he again thought of Retsu's words from their last meeting, again questioning whether or not his master survived.

He looked back to her and judging by the look on her face, she already knew what he was going to ask, but she let him speak.

"Do you know if he is still alive?" he asked.

"Your master gives off a powerful essence, but there are many within this world to discern. I am afraid I cannot give you an answer to that. That is yours to find out for yourself," she replied.

Ryu looked on in disappointment but then nodded, "Whatever it is, it is a journey I am willing to undertake."

"Indeed, there will be much to learn for your next encounter with them," the fortuneteller nodded.

The vagabond again stared dumbfounded towards her, "What do you mean by 'them?' Who is 'them' and what do they want with me?"

"Again Ryu that is something you must learn on your own. You are indeed a strong warrior and I have faith in your abilities, but there is much you have yet to learn. Let your destiny be your guide Warrior."

XXXXXXXXXXX

_Shanghai, China_

"Hey buddy, wake up! We're here!" the driver called out wrapping on his rear window.

The knocking startled Ryu awake and he bolted up.

_"Was that really just a dream?" _he asked himself as he looked around and realized he was still in the truck's cargo area, _"Whatever the hell it was, it seemed so real. What the hell did she mean by 'them?'"_

"Hey man, are you sure you're alright?" the driver asked, "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Ryu looked over to the man and reached his hand up to rub the back of his neck, realizing he had slept at an awkward angle.

"I'm fine…really it's nothing," the vagabond replied as he reached for his travel bag.

"Well okay man we're here, just like you requested," the man said motioning towards a nearby warehouse, where a few spectators had congregated outside either smoking cigarettes or drinking alcoholic beverages.

"Alright, thank you very much," Ryu said as he climbed out of the cargo area and then walked over to pay the driver.

"No problem buddy, take care of yourself," the man replied with a wave as he went about his way.

Ryu was back in China and was now about to enter another tournament. He probably wouldn't gain any more answers on his journey in a location such as this, but then again the possibilities were endless with him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Not too far away_

"Will somebody please tell me where the hell our star is?" the director called out over his megaphone before looking down to his watch and feeling his eyes almost bulge out beneath his sunglasses. "C'mon people, we're already twenty minutes overdue! Somebody tell me where the hell Fei-Long is!" he screamed, loud enough to make a few nearby stagehands nearly go deaf.

"I haven't seen him anywhere over the past half hour," called out a makeup artist.

"Me neither," shouted a lighting specialist.

"He should've been in his trailer the whole time," called out a boom operator, motioning towards a nearby trailer that had the famous martial arts actor's visage emblazoned along the side, standing before a fiery background and surrounded by dragons.

"Well somebody please find him! We haven't got all day you know," the director hollered.

"Yeah, I gotta shoot a juice commercial in an hour," called out the actor who would be filming the fight sequence with Fei-Long, a tall baldheaded man in a black military outfit.

"God I'm gonna be in so much trouble with the studio if we don't find him," the director groaned, tossing his cap onto the ground, "Where oh where could he be?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Back at the tournament_

"Ah, so you're the famous Fei-Long?" Won Won asked as he towered over his opponent. "You look so much bigger…and so much tougher in your movies."

Fei-Long danced back and forth unafraid of the bigger man, "Well like the saying goes 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall' and I'm sure you're no different from the other yahoos."

"Heh, you sure talk a lot for a little pipsqueak and now I'm gonna show you what happens when you don't respect your superiors little man!" the ex-sailor grunted before going into his fighting stance.

"Ha! There is no way you could ever knock me out!" the actor replied going into his own fighting stance.

"Well we'll see about that!" Won shouted as he charged his opponent and attempted a flurry of punches, but ran into thin air as the smaller man hooked his leg onto him and then gracefully flipped over him. Before he could turn around, the smaller man delivered a two hit kicking combo that knocked him forward.

"Now that wasn't-" the large thug was talking as he was turning around, only to be met by a flaming foot.

"SHIENKYAKU!" Fei-Long announced as he leapt into the air with his flaming foot extended, catching his opponent in the chin and sending him back to the ground with a hard thud. The big man was clearly knocked out by the attack and the crowd began cheering wildly as the action star let out a high-pitched scream and began posing for the cameras.

"That wasn't enough for a workout. I didn't even break a sweat with that chump," Fei-Long whispered to himself as he stared at his downed challenger and then looked to the crowd.

_"There has to be someone around that can give me a real challenge," _he thought to himself as he scanned the cheering spectators, _"something I don't get in some choreographed fight."_

His dark eyes then made their way to the front row and he sorted through the line of tough guys calling out for him to accept their challenge until he happened across a solitary figure clad in white, a man whom he recognized.

"Holy crap…Ryu!" Fei-Long called out waving the vagabond onto the arena floor.

Ryu nodded at the mention of his name and leapt over the security railing.

"Fei-Long, it has been far too long," the wandering warrior nodded as he raised his hand and touched fists with the martial arts actor.

"Indeed it has friend. Say that guy I just fought wasn't enough of a challenge for me, how about a match? It's been far too long since I've enjoyed a _real _fight," Fei-Long asked going into his fighting stance.

"I wouldn't be here if I weren't looking for a worthy challenge," the Japanese Ansatsuken fighter replied before going into his own fighting stance.

With a collective nod to signal they were both ready the fight began.

Fei-Long started the contest, letting out a high-pitched scream as he charged towards his opponent with a series of rapid fire hand strikes.

The Ansatsuken warrior stood his ground and managed to block all of the blows thrown in his direction.

_"I almost forgot how fast this guy is, then again his movies give it away," _Ryu reminded himself, remembering the last time Ken had dragged him along to a movie theater to see the Chinese actor's martial arts epic 'Legend of the 3 Dragons.'

In a display of his lightning quickness, Fei-Long aimed a knife-handed strike at his opponent's throat, which Ryu again barely blocked before he was caught off guard by an uppercut which snapped his head back, but didn't knock him from his feet. With the wandering warrior sent staggering, Fei attempted to follow up with a thrust kick, which was parried at the last second.

With his opponent knocked back a few steps Ryu saw an opening and waited for his opponent to charge at him again, this time answering with an elbow strike that caught him in the stomach before kneeling low and catching him on the chin with a rising uppercut.

Fei-Long was knocked backwards by the blow, but did not fall and quickly shrugged it off, letting out another war cry before launching himself into the air with his foot extended.

"REKKUKYAKU!" the actor cried as he flew through the air. Ryu saw the attack coming and attempted to block, only to be caught by surprise as his opponent twisted his body in midair and brought his other leg down upon him, finally taking him off his feet.

_"This man is fast but reckless and relies far too much on flashy moves," _the vagabond told himself as he forced himself to his knees and looked over to see his opponent bouncing up and down, letting out another high-pitched scream for his fans in attendance. _"I have to take advantage of this and find my opening."_

Ryu grunted as he forced himself back to his feet and went for a projectile attack.

"HADOKEN!" he shouted as he launched a flaming blue projectile towards his opponent, who leapt over the fireball and found himself drawn into a trap.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!" he roared as he launched himself into the air and spun around with his leg extended, catching his opponent with a multitude of blows and sending the man flying to the dirt floor.

The attack visibly affected the high-flying martial artist and he struggled back to his feet, "Not bad…but it's going to take more than that to take me out."

"Yes, hold nothing back," Ryu replied as he awaited the man's next attack.

Both men leapt towards each other, Fei-Long going for another high angle thrust kick while Ryu attempted his 'High Blade Leg Kick,' both of their attacks connecting simultaneously and sending both men staggering backwards.

Fei-Long was the first to recover, shooting both his palms out, which was again blocked before he attempted to follow up with a spinning sweep kick, which connected with his opponent's knee and caused him to cry out in pain.

Shoving himself back to his feet, the action star unleashed another barrage of rapid fire punches upon his opponent, which was known as the 'Rekkaken' or 'Violent Fire Fist.' Again, most of his attacks were either blocked or dodged, his last attack only managing to graze the vagabond's side before he responded with a whirlwind kick.

The blow caught the action star in the chest, but he showed amazing resiliency for a man of his small size and propelled himself into the air with his leg engulfed by flames.

"SHIENKYAKU!" Fei-Long cried as he attempted the same maneuver that took out his first opponent.

Ryu barely got his arms up in time to absorb the blow, wincing as the man's chi scalded his exposed flesh. Fortunately, the burning didn't last long and within seconds the flames extinguished, leaving his opponent wide open.

"SHORYUKEN!" the Ansatsuken warrior cried out as he launched himself into the air with his fist extended, catching Fei-Long in the chin and sending him flying even further into the air before he hit the ground with an even harder thud.

Many in attendance fell silent in shock, unable to believe that their beloved action star THE Fei-Long had fallen. However, once Ryu approached to help the man back to his feet they began to cheer the show of good sportsmanship.

"Damn…that was quite a match," Fei-Long gasped, "You're quite a strong son of a gun, should be no surprise you're the reigning champion."

Ryu nodded in acknowledgment, "A superficial title means nothing to me. It is what I learn from each fight that matters."

"Well I hope you learned something from this fight," Fei-Long replied as he wiped away some blood from a fresh cut on his face, "I learned next time I receive a tip about small tournaments like this to never pass it up. Who knows whenever I'll find myself a challenge of your caliber."

The vagabond smiled at the compliment, "There is much more than that to learn from each fight you partake in. Never leave any stone unturned in your quest for betterment."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't much later when both fighters had cleaned up after their bout and were now walking away from the warehouse, Ryu with his travel bag slung over his shoulder and Fei-Long with his injuries now patched up and wearing a silk black shirt with white trim.

"So I take it you're still traveling the globe as usual, huh? Probably going on all sorts of adventures most people could dream about?" Fei-Long asked as they went about their way.

"Something along those lines you could say. Never know where a quest for the perfect challenge will take you," Ryu replied.

"If that does exist, it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack," the martial arts actor replied.

"It does. My master taught me nothing is impossible. I will travel to the ends of the earth to find it," Ryu spoke.

"And then what happens when you do find this 'perfect challenge?' Retire from fighting and start your own school and take on your own students? Get married and have a few little rugrats running around? Star in your own action movies?" Fei-Long quipped.

"Hmmm, to tell you the truth I've never even thought about that," Ryu replied staring straight ahead in confusion. "All I've ever lived for is the fight and the pursuit of becoming a better warrior. The world is such a large place and there are challenges all over."

"Hey, Action Boy!" a voice suddenly called out.

The two fighters turned around to see Won Won standing before them now holding a meat cleaver in hand, flanked by several goons.

"We ain't through with you yet!" the large gangster called out pointing his meat cleaver at them.

"Isn't that the same guy you were fighting before me?" Ryu whispered to his companion.

"Yeah, his name is Won Won and the creeps with him belong to the 108 Dragon Triad organization. They tried to disrupt filming when I was shooting 'Triad Enforcers 2,' claiming one of my stagehands owed them money. Needless to say, I had to teach them a lesson in rough justice," the actor answered.

"I'd believe that. They don't look like they respond well to words," Ryu replied as one of the thugs charged up a set of electrified tuning forks.

"Enough talk, now I claim your heads as my own!" Won Won shouted before licking his cleaver.

"Now if only we had the crew on hand to capture this," Fei-Long said to Ryu.

"I think for now we had better worry about just getting out of here alive," the vagabond replied.

"Get them!" Won Won ordered and the thugs charged after the two warriors.

Ryu intercepted one of the goons with an elbow to his stomach before following up with a collarbone strike that sent the man crumbling to the pavement in pain. Another thug was on hand armed with a club and attempted a swing at his head, only for the martial artist to duck underneath and grab the man by his shirt, tossing him over his shoulder and into a line of trashcans.

Fei-Long was approached by a muscular thug who attempted to grab him, but the actor slithered from his grasp and struck the man with a combo of speedy hand strikes before knocking him out cold with an uppercut. As soon as the big man fell, two more were on hand and attempted to surround him, only to be knocked down simultaneously by a split kick.

"I've encountered stuntmen who were tougher than your boys. You might as well give it up!" Fei-Long shouted towards the leader.

Won Won growled in anger and attempted to swing his cleaver at the actor's neck, but the smaller man rolled underneath him and delivered a spinning sweep kick that caught him in the left leg. Collapsing to one knee in pain, the triad found himself on the receiving end of a flurry of punches to the face before he found his arm pinned beneath his opponent's leg.

"You won't be needing this anymore," Fei-Long smirked before breaking the gangster's arm, forcing him to drop the meat cleaver.

"SHAKUNETSU HADOKEN!" Ryu announced as he fired a blazing red projectile at the pudgy thug wielding the electrified tuning forks, setting the man ablaze and forcing him to stop, drop and roll along the ground.

There were three thugs left and they all stared hesitantly towards the wandering warrior.

Ryu said nothing and beckoned them forth, daring them to attack.

"Oh crap, let's get out of here!" one of the thugs whimpered before hightailing it out of the alley followed closely by his remaining associates, barely avoiding being run over by an oncoming limousine.

Ryu saw the limo pull into view and remained in his fighting stance not knowing what to expect, while Fei-Long sighed irritably.

The backdoor flew open and out came a skinny man wearing a cap and sunglasses who breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon spotting Fei-Long, only to go on a vicious tirade a second later.

"Fei-Long what in God's name are you doing here of all places?" the man screamed like a father disciplining a child who had been out past curfew, "Do you have any how long they've been waiting for you back at the set? We're running on a tight schedule and we can't afford to have you just running around in dumpy areas like this where you're likely to be shot, stabbed or God knows what else!"

The martial arts actor nervously rubbed the back of his neck and then stared back to Ryu, "That's just Steve, my director," he whispered back.

"Hell, what are you even doing out here of all places?" Steve demanded, "And by god, you have a cut on your face! Do you have any idea how bad that's going to look when we begin shooting?"

"Uh I'm an action star Steve…I think people expect me to look like I've been beaten up," Fei-Long retorted.

The director ignored the comment and quickly ran over to seize him by the shoulder, "Never mind that, I'll just make sure Flo does some extra touch up work on you. Now c'mon we've gotta go!" he said practically shoving Fei-Long into the back of the limo.

"I'll talk to you later Ryu! Definitely look me up when you're in Hong Kong again!" the actor called out before the door slammed and the limo was quickly taking off.

"See you later old friend," the vagabond muttered to the empty air before turning around and walking away.

Unknown to both fighters, the entire ordeal had been observed from the shadows.

A man clad in a black trench coat and black fedora reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone to notify a nearby contact.

"Mr. Balrog, get your men ready. He's nearby," the man spoke before switching the phone off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryu took a right turn down another alley and decided to take a shortcut through a parking garage when he was halted by a booming voice.

"Hey you, yeah you in the headband!"

The warrior stopped and turned to see a large African-American man wearing bright red boxing gloves casually reclining against one of the support beams.

"You must be Ryu I take it, huh?"

"What do you want from me?" Ryu demanded as he dropped his travel bag and went into his fighting stance. He could tell the man was up to no good and needed to be on guard.

The man chuckled, "Well it ain't nothing personal, but my boss doesn't like you and has asked me to kick your ass."

"Your boss," Ryu whispered to himself, "Are you with Shadaloo?"

"Why bother asking questions? It's not like you're gonna be around much longer to get your answers anyway," Balrog chuckled.

Unknown to Ryu, there were several red and black clad soldiers watching the brewing confrontation from a safe distance.

"Now be a good little pipsqueak and stay still while I turn your face into my latest punching bag!" Balrog said smacking his gloved fists together.

The hulking brute launched himself forward with his bowling ball-sized fist extended, to which Ryu would raise his arms to block. His face had been protected from the crushing blow, but he was still shoved backwards and would likely have some nasty bruises on his arms later on.

"I'm gonna have fun feeling your face break beneath my fists!" the boxer cackled as he assailed the vagabond with a flurry of punches.

Ryu grunted in pain and exhaustion as the blows connected with his still crossed arms, feeling himself cornered, but knowing he would be in trouble if he lowered them.

The flurry suddenly stopped, only for the warrior to find himself knocked from his feet as the big man ducked low and launched himself head first, sending Ryu flying against an empty car.

Pain coursed freely through his body, but would soon focus on his stomach as the boxer drove his massive fist into the vagabond's gut, followed by a hard right hook to his jaw before grabbing him and head butting him numerous times.

"Man for a champ you sure fight like a chump," Balrog chuckled as he delivered a left-handed body blow to his victim and ended with a dashing uppercut that knocked his opponent high into the air.

Ryu hit the pavement hard and pushed himself up to a knee, only to roll off to the side as the dark-skinned behemoth charged towards him with a punch aimed towards the ground.

The bigger man he was going against appeared to not be the brightest bulb, but still could not be underestimated. Things were already getting desperate for the world warrior and just as the man was recovering, he threw a whirlwind kick that caught his opponent in the side of the head before he could rise back to his feet.

"Gah!" Balrog grunted in pain before it was his turn to be assaulted.

Ryu charged towards the boxer with a punch aimed at his collarbone before he delivered a roundhouse kick that finally took the flinching giant from his feet. Normally he was an honorable fighter who would allow his opponent to rise before attacking again, but he could smell the man's aura and sense that he was a far from honorable competitor that wouldn't hesitate to resort to dirty tactics if given the opportunity.

The vagabond delivered a fierce punch of his own to the man's right cheek and followed with a left-handed jab before executing another roundhouse kick that again took the bigger man down.

It was now Ryu who was on the offensive as he continued to punch away at his opponent before grabbing the man by his jersey and flung him over his shoulder with all of his might, sending the former heavyweight champion landing on the hood of a nearby pickup truck.

Balrog groaned in pain as he struggled to pull himself up, but the immense pain coupled with the twisted steel around him prevented that. "I'd better still get paid for this," he weakly spat before passing out.

Ryu let out a deep exhale as he carefully eyed the enforcer to make sure he wouldn't return to his senses before he would be able to leave. Just as he was about to make his way for his travel bag, he felt a sudden prick in his shoulder.

"What was that?" he asked himself as he spun around to greet any possible new challengers, only for his vision to suddenly swirl as his head now felt like it weighed a ton and his legs became rubbery. He then remembered the stabbing sensation and mustered all his strength to raise his arm and reach for whatever it was that had caught him.

With a low grunt, he plucked a dart-like object from his shoulder and watched as it fell to the ground, shattering to pieces when it connected with the concrete.

"A tran-tran…qui…li…zer…" he tried to speak, but his tongue also became heavy and he was unable to utter the last word as he collapsed against a support beam and slunk down, collapsing into a deep sleep.

"Alright, bag 'em and tag 'em!" a squad leader called out as the soldiers stepped into view and made their way towards the comatose martial artist.

Three soldiers stood guard around the garage entrances while the squad leader and other four operatives got to work securing restraints around their target's wrists and ankles.

"Alright, restraints are secured," reported one of the agents.

"Very well, let's move out," the squad leader barked as two of his men hoisted the unconscious Ryu into the air. "Get Mr. Balrog up and moving too," he ordered motioning towards the truck where the former heavyweight champion boxer was still splayed across the crumpled hood.

"Right," two soldiers called out in unison making their way towards the lifeless boxer.

The squad leader then turned his attention towards the operative guarding the garage's northern entrance, "Get on the horn and alert Dex. Tell him we're ready to go!"

With a nod the operative reached for his radio, only to be halted as a single bony finger shot out and struck him at a vital point in his neck.

"Insolent fools," a scratchy old voice hissed as the dead soldier collapsed to the ground.

The other Shadaloo operatives spun around to find themselves standing face to face with an elderly man wearing a traditional purple changshan and red slippers.

"Halt where you are or we will open fire!" the squad leader barked, his grip becoming shaky as the man shot him a deathly glare, as if he were tempting him to open fire.

"Will you?" the man chuckled as he took a step forth and raised a gnarled hand to further entice his challenger, "You honestly think your pitiful toy can protect you from your own destiny?"

The squad leader shot him a quizzical glance from beneath his mask before looking over his shoulder to his men, who trembled in fear at the presence of a harmless-looking elderly man for reasons even they couldn't comprehend.

It proved to be a futile mistake as the leader turned to find the old man had vanished.

"Where'd he go?" the masked man barked.

Before anybody could reply, a throaty gurgle sounded from the eastern entrance and they turned to see another one of the guards fall to the ground reaching for his throat as a purple blur passed him by.

"Open fire!" the leader ordered.

"But sir, there are civilians nearby! They'll hear us-" another soldier protested.

"Just shoot damn it!" he cut the man off before squeezing his trigger.

The purple blur danced around the room as the men fired away frantically, their bullets chipping away at the cement walls and riddling the empty cars as they tried to get a good shot in on their target. It was as if they were trying to hit a comet.

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon kill the bastard!" one of the soldiers called out firing away madly until his clip ran empty and he patted around his pouches for a spare.

Before he could grab the fresh clip, a wrinkled old hand clamped onto his neck.

"There he is!" a trooper called out and his colleagues turned to fire upon their elderly assailant.

With lightning speed, the old man spun around with the frightened soldier in front of him.

"No!" the squad leader shouted but it was too late and the human shield was torn apart by automatic fire.

A deathly silence fell amongst the five remaining troopers as they realized what they had just done, leaving them wide open for their assailant.

The old man leapt with cat-like grace along a parked van and landed behind the closest trooper. He waited for the man to spin around and then riddled him with a series of rapid fire hand strikes to vital areas of is body. All the nameless soldier could do was convulse violently, dead before he hit the ground.

"Bastard!" one of the troopers roared as he attempted to whip the old man with the butt of his rifle, but the legendary assassin ducked effortlessly beneath the swipe and launched himself into the air, kicking his legs up like a bicycle and striking the soldier numerous times before launching him up to the ceiling, hard enough to shatter the man's spinal column.

Desperation ran at an all time high for the three remaining troopers as they stood with their backs to each other firing away madly at any shadow that dared to move in the enclosed structure.

A booming laugh echoed from within, sounding as if it were coming from all directions, "Truly pathetic!"

"ZAN'EI!" the same voice called out and two of the soldiers were knocked backward as the same purple blur darted past them, catching their colleague head on, leaving him covered in deep gashes and coughing up blood beneath his mask.

It was now down to two Shadaloo operatives and the old man slowed himself down to engage both of them in hand-to-hand combat, delivering a hard hopping kick that knocked out of the men into a support beam before performing several rapid hand strikes on the other man and ending with a rising strike that knocked the man flat onto his back.

The squad leader had regained his senses by this point and raised his assault rifle to fire, but it seemed as if the elderly man had eyes in the back of his head as he spun around and executed a downward chop that split the rifle in two. Before he could utter another profanity, the purple-clad man rolled towards him and shot his hand into his chest, hard enough to strike through his armor and into his heart.

"You…" the man gasped before he started to spasm and choke on his own blood before he fell to the ground.

A low groan came from behind the elderly man and he turned to see the last soldier stirring back into consciousness and with labored huffs, pushing himself back to his feet.

The lone operative struggled to steady himself and braced against a nearby luxury sedan that had been torn apart by gunfire and spattered with the blood of his comrades, and it was then his vision focused and he felt his bowels tighten. Slowly turning around he found himself standing face to face with the very man that had eliminated his entire squadron, who could only smile at his own handiwork.

"Do not worry child for you are about to join them," the elderly man spoke before delivering a series of rapid fire strikes to his armored body, allowing him to suffer in agony before finishing him off with a simple finger poke.

Gen could only smile at his work as he took in the mangled bodies lying around him, knowing they belonged to that sinister organization known as Shadaloo and lying amongst the fresh corpses was what they had come for, a man he had never expect to see ever again.

Ryu was still unconscious from the tranquilizer and it would probably be a few hours before he would reawaken.

"Indeed it has been a long time vagabond," the elderly assassin muttered as he searched one of the fallen soldiers for a key and undid the unconscious warrior's restraints before hefting him over his shoulder.

As he lugged the Japanese fighter along, Gen shuddered as he felt the overpowering force from nearby, a malevolent entity which had been his reason for being here in the first place.

Whatever the case was, he knew Ryu had to somehow be involved and needed to find him immediately.

_"Leave him be. He is not yet ready," _he mentally told the force surrounding them as he led Ryu down an alley.

Meanwhile back in the garage, Balrog was slowly stirring back into consciousness.

"Ugh…my damn head…" the boxer grunted as he forced himself into a sitting position and started blinking his eyes rapidly until they began to focus and he lowered his feet back to the pavement, only to stop as his foot brushed against a huge lump.

Looking down his eyes widened in shock as he found himself standing over one of the troopers who had been assigned to him, the man's tattered clothing exposing the deep gashes underneath.

"What the hell?" he grunted as he followed a trail of blood that led him to the other bodies splayed about the empty parking garage. His dark eyes widened in shock and he had to suppress the urge to wet himself.

"Oh crap…Bison ain't gonna like this!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Akuma narrowed his eyes in frustration as he sensed Gen moving farther away from him with Ryu, the very man he had once again hoped to challenge.

_"Once again those blasted fools from Shadaloo got in my way," _he thought to himself, his eyes glowing extra brightly in anger, _"And if it weren't them, it probably would have been Gen himself. Indeed you will get your death match old man, after I've had my rematch with Ryu."_

The dark Ansatsuken master stood on a nearby rooftop watching over one of the more decrepit parts of the city; able to sense every single life form that dwelled within, yet they did not interest him.

_"One day Ryu, it will come. I will not be denied. My fists will taste your blood," _he thought staring down to his gloved fists.

A low grunt came from behind and the master turned to face his student, staring upon him with similar glowing red embers.

"Patience child, your time will come as well. Ryu's creed will not allow him to hide from us forever. I know you will put to use what I have shown you well."

The only reply came in the form of his apprentice's eyes glowing even brighter.

Author's Notes:

And so this concludes another entry in the lives of our beloved Street Fighters!

Even though he technically cannot appear because by this point Gouken has forever sealed away the "Murderous Intent" with Ryu, I still thought it would be cool to find some kind of creative way for Evil Ryu to make an appearance and lo and behold, he is here, albeit briefly.

For those of you who aren't familiar, Won Won was the level 1 boss in "Final Fight 2" and according to Capcom canon; he is supposed to be friendly with a Triad organization known as the 108 Dragon. In the Japanese version he carries a meat cleaver, which is censored from the U.S. version, so that's kind of my own way of addressing why he doesn't use it in an actual tournament bout, but does in an illegal back alley street fight.

And for anybody who may ask, yes the fight between Ryu and Fei-Long was inspired by their encounter from "Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie." WHAA-CHAA!

Apparently "changshan" is the official name of the traditional purple robe that Gen wears, which I figured I would add for more realism sake, just like a "qipao" is what they call the kind of outfit Chun-Li wears.

Well I think that's it for notes on my part so until then tune in next time! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	9. Sowing the Seeds of Battle

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: And so the almighty Metal Harbinger returns to you just in time for the holidays with his latest installment of "The World Warriors' Legacy!" I hope you've all been good boys and girls because this is another long ass chapter I managed to crank out and before I get on with the story, I will be delivering a few more shout outs:

**Dune7: **Always glad to impress and I kind of agree that there were parts of the American "Street Fighter" cartoon that pissed me off, but then again it did have points where I thought it was cool. One of the things that really pissed me off was when they made Cody into a white trash hillbilly, what the fuck man?

I also thought the movie itself was atrocious and I've refused to see "The Legend of Chun-Li" because I hear it's supposed to be twice as worse. In my honest opinion, the SF series should NEVER be made into a live action adaptation and they should stick solely to animated adaptations, or go 3-D CGI if they have to, that's the farthest I'd be willing to go with that.

I also agree that they should have included Haggar and Hugo in SF4; I think they would have made great additions to the roster. However, I've been hearing rumors that they may be adding Haggar to the lineup for the forthcoming "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" and that I would love to see right there. I'm hoping they follow through because it would promote a good nostalgia factor for the "Final Fight" days and nothing against Zangief, but personally I find it sad how Haggar has been so grossly overlooked over the years when in fact he was around before the Red Cyclone.

He is THE original big man who would go on to inspire the "big wrestler type" we find in practically every single hand-to-hand fighting game today, as well as the "big slow, but amazingly strong" character we would find in all those "side-scrolling beat 'em ups" back in the '90's.

I think it would be awesome to address the supposed rivalry between Haggar and Zangief.

**MiggyMeista: **Once again always glad to impress, and also making you feel nostalgic again with the SF2 anime reference, and also show you Gen is nowhere near being ready for the retirement home! Yeah I also wanted to include some kind of homage to Final Fight as always, hence Won Won's "guest appearance" or "beat down" to be more exact.

**Iceangelmkx: **Just for you *Turns on 'Kung Fu Fighting'.* Indeed Rufus' gut defies the laws of physics on so many different scales. If they ever include Gabriel Iglesias in a fighting game I'm sure he will have a style very similar to Rufus'.

**FLUFFY POWER!**

Now that I've ranted, on with the story!

Chapter 9: Sowing the Seeds of Battle

It took a great deal of effort, but Ryu's eyes finally began to flutter open, blinking them rapidly to adjust to the sunlight shining down upon him. He tried to look away, but moving his head felt like he was trying to roll a boulder to the side.

"It seems you are finally awake child," a raspy old voice spoke.

Hearing the voice brought the young vagabond back to life and he shot upright to find a familiar old man sitting across from him sipping from a cup of herbal tea.

"Hello Ryu, it has been far too long," Gen nodded.

"Gen?" he asked lowering his feet to the floor and rubbing his sore temples, "Where am I? How did you find me?"

"You are in my home above my restaurant," he replied lowering his cup and rising to his feet, "You are not a hard man to find. I simply followed your chi and found those Shadaloo operatives about to take you away. I could not allow that to happen and needless to say, they are no longer around to bring harm to anyone else."

Ryu shuddered at the man's words, feeling a mixture of shock and disgust at how the elderly man could so casually brush off having murdered a group of men with his own bare hands, regardless of whether or not they were on the right side of the law.

Seemingly able to sense his guest's thoughts, Gen turned to face him again, "You have followed the path of the warrior all your life, surely you would know such happenings are possible."

"I do not fight to kill. I fight to improve myself as a warrior," Ryu replied.

"Hmph, we all die at one point, that is simply how the universe around us flows," the aging assassin spoke as he made his way through an entranceway into a small conservatory kept at the corner of the upper level.

"So you said Shadaloo was in the area, I recall being challenged by some boxer before I passed out. He spoke of how his boss didn't like me and then we fought," Ryu explained as he followed Gen into the greenhouse, "I wonder what they could be doing around here. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

Gen had taken a trowel and was digging through several pots as Ryu spoke before grabbing a small bag of seeds and sprinkling them into the dirt.

"I have heard rumors that the organization has been attempting to rekindle its drug trade in the area," the old man spoke.

"Heh, I wouldn't put that past them at all," Ryu said looking over some native plants Gen had been growing.

"So has there been anything else to bring you here aside from yet another one of your fighting tournaments?" the elderly assassin inquired as he grabbed a watering can and poured it over the plants.

Ryu swallowed hard at the question before attempting a reply, "Well…to tell you the truth, I've been wondering about my master. I've heard a rumor that he might still be alive. I haven't seen him since his last encounter with Akuma."

Gen stopped everything at the mention of the dark warrior's name and turned to face his guest, giving him a hard gaze and placing a hand to his bearded chin, stroking his long white beard thoroughly as he chose his next words.

"Hmmm, it seems as though you too have been feeling the strong presences I've felt as of late."

Ryu's eyes widened, "No I haven't, Master Gouken's old friend Retsu told me. He said he had been feeling a strong presence and thought it could have been him, but he wasn't sure, that's what I've been trying to figure out."

Gen clasped his hands together, hidden beneath the cuffs of his long sleeves, "I have known your sensei for years Ryu, as I have his brother Akuma. They were both warriors of powerful spiritual presence, their chi making them difficult to tell apart until it was too late.

Again Ryu felt great unease in the assassin's words, "Do you think Akuma could still be alive? I had this strange dream as I was arriving here in Shanghai…a dream where I was confronted by my evil side, which only came out when I was within his presence. I wonder what that could mean."

Taking a few steps towards the vagabond Gen placed his hands behind his back. He knew Akuma was still alive but was hesitant to tell Ryu, knowing he would attempt to track him down.

_"You cannot hide me from him forever old man," _Akuma telepathically called out to Gen.

_"Leave him be. He is not yet ready for you," _Gen replied in similar fashion.

_"You doubt his abilities too much. We must have our confrontation soon and I will not sit around waiting for your permission," _the Dark Ansatsuken master spoke.

"Is everything alright?" Ryu asked, staring warily towards the man, who stood silently in place with his eyes closed. Hearing the younger man's voice he shot them open.

"I'm fine," he spoke just before breaking down into a coughing fit.

Ryu ran over and helped his old friend, whose coughing had grown worse and was left buckling over, catching him before he could fall to his knees.

"Leave me," the old man choked out, "I'll make it…this isn't my first," he spoke between gasps.

Ryu ignored the man's plea and led him back to a chair in his living room. He was well aware of Gen's leukemia and with that kind of disease, never knew when his latest attack could be his last. He maintained a protective vigil over the assassin until he motioned towards his teapot.

"Please…more tea…it will calm me," Gen pleaded as he reached for the pot.

With a nod, Ryu poured some tea into the same cup Gen had been drinking from earlier and handed it to him. The elderly assassin took a long swig and followed with a couple of deep breaths before he began to settle down. A knock soon came from the front door.

"Come in," he called out.

Two teenagers made their way into the apartment, both of whom wore matching black baggy pants and sneakers, along with yellow wristbands that ended with fingerless gloves, and that was where their similarities ended.

The first boy had long brown hair braided into a ponytail that was covered by a blue baseball cap with a yellow visor and sported a white sleeveless salmon shirt with blue trim.

Behind him was a boy of similar build and facial features with short brown spiky hair and wearing a red sleeveless shirt.

"Master Gen-" the boy in white spoke, only to halt when he spotted the stranger present, "Hmmm, you didn't mention anything about company."

"Oh where are my manners? Ryu, these are my students Yun and Yang Lee," he spoke motioning towards the two teenagers, "Boys, this is Ryu, an old friend of mine."

"Holy crap, you're THE Ryu!" Yun gasped, suddenly feeling star struck.

"I see you have heard of me, that I find surprising," the vagabond replied.

"Chun-Li told us much about you," Yang, the boy in red, spoke up, "We had no idea you knew our master."

"We heard you kicked Sagat's ass all those years ago," Yun cut in, much to his brother's annoyance, "It truly is a pleasure to meet you in the flesh," he said running over and grabbing the warrior's hand, pumping it vigorously. He only stopped when Gen cleared his throat behind them. "Oh sorry…" he said blushing in embarrassment.

"You must forgive my brother, he gets a little too excited sometimes," Yang spoke from the background.

"Ah yes, now if you will our guest here has been on an arduous journey," Gen said stepping into view, "Would you please be kind enough to fix him a meal?"

"Sure thing master," Yang nodded and then motioned for Ryu to follow, "Right this way please."

"You two go ahead, I need to get something quick," Yun spoke before making his way across the hall to the small apartment he and Yang shared.

Making his way into the kitchen the teenager went for the phone and dialed a familiar number.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Interpol Headquarters, Hong Kong_

Chun-Li and Wallace stood at attention in their director's office where they were currently in the midst of going over their recent findings with Director Hong and a few of his subordinates.

"Judging by what we have told you, it is obvious Shadaloo is back in business," the detective said finishing her presentation.

"Indeed you provide a strong case and from what you have shown me, as has the intel we've gathered from our operatives around the world, they are embarking on an aggressive campaign to rebuild their operations and recruit new members to their ranks," the director spoke as he turned his attention towards a screen at the front of the room, "and this footage you've shown has to be a testament to that."

The director then proceeded to replay the surveillance footage shot at the coliseum where Chun-Li was shown fighting for her life against those two young women, up until Wallace's intervention. Using his remote, Director Hong zoomed in on the darker haired woman wielding the nunchaks, the one who seemed familiar. It was now time for Agent Giles, a tall African-American man with his hair styled into a crewcut, to speak.

"After some input from Agent Xiang, I have conducted an extensive search based on the images gathered and have managed to successfully determine the identity of the first young woman present. She is Mai Shuwen, daughter of the Shuwen Import and Export Conglomerate, who was first reported missing six years ago."

"Well looks like we know what happened to her now," Wallace sighed, earning a filthy glare from Chun-Li.

"What about the other lady?" inquired Agent Zack Takimoto, a young Japanese operative in a sleek black suit.

Agent Giles gave him a perplexed look before continuing, "Believe it or not, I wasn't able to dig up anything on her, which is odd because she and Ms. Shuwen almost look as if they could pass as twins," he said staring awkwardly towards the still frame.

"Well whoever she is, we have to find her and get her out of Bison's hands," Chun-Li declared as the image on the screen changed to a photograph she had taken of the cyborg she personally destroyed on that ship in Victoria Harbor.

"While we're at it, we also need to find these monitor cyborgs and intercept whatever data they have recorded," the woman continued, "If these units are afoot, then there has to be a good chance they are targeting street fighters."

"Is there any idea as to which particular fighters they could possibly be targeting?" Director Hong inquired as he looked to her and then the other agents present.

"Given the amount of these babies they produce, it's next to impossible to determine," the agent replied before a name suddenly popped into her head, "I have no doubt in my mind that one of them would be the warrior called Ryu."

"Ryu?" piped British agent Graham Sherringford from the back of the room, "As in the same Ryu who kicked Sagat's ass all those years ago?"

"There has been only one Ryu to defeat Sagat and yes that is the same man I speak of," Chun-Li replied, finding it hard not to smile slightly at the man's inquiry.

"And it's not just here in Hong Kong where these monitor cyborgs have recently been spotted," spoke Agent Inessa Kurchenko as several images flooded the screen at once, all taken from around the globe and blown up to show mysterious figures hidden in the background that would normally have been barely discernable to the naked eye had it not been for advanced technology.

"They have been spotted at various underground fighting tournaments all over the world and there is no telling who they may have taken at this point," the Russian operative explained.

"Well whatever the case is, it spells trouble," Director Hong continued, "They are notorious for kidnapping and brainwashing street fighters into joining their cause and they will go to great lengths to build their army. At this point, we should consider any renowned fighters as possible targets."

"But how can we locate all of these fighters? They're spread out all over the globe!" Wallace cut in, "It would be impossible."

"We must continue to maintain our surveillance of known fighting hotspots and given Agent Xiang's experience, she has valuable allies who could help us greatly in this matter," the director spoke turning his attention to Chun-Li, "Agent Xiang, I would suggest you reach through to your contacts immediately."

"I'm on it sir," the woman replied with a nod.

"That is all. You are dismissed," Director Hong said returning the gesture.

Chun-Li and Wallace both made their way out of the director's office and were walking down the hall towards the break room.

"Do you seriously think you would be able to track down that Ryu fellow you mentioned?" Wallace asked as he exchanged a friendly wave with some colleagues passing them in the hall, "I've heard he is quite elusive and that tracking him down can be like finding a needle in a haystack, for the lack of a better cliché."

"Hey, I was able to track down that monitor cyborg wasn't I?" Chun-Li shot back in mock annoyance, "Sometimes I swear you doubt my abilities too much. Besides, if I can't find him then I know his best friend Ken Masters can and he's only a phone call away."

As if on cue, the woman's cell phone began ringing.

"Wow, impeccable timing," Wallace chuckled.

"You go ahead, I'll meet up with you in a few minutes," Chun-Li said as she reached for the phone.

"Alright, I'll save you one of those lattes you like," the American agent replied as he entered the break room.

When her partner was out of sight Chun-Li switched on her phone, "Agent Chun-Li Xiang speaking."

_"Chun-Li, it's Yun," _a teenage voice spoke from the other end.

"Oh hey Yun, what's up?"

_"Listen, you told me you were friends with that martial artist Ryu right?" _the teen inquired.

"Yes I am, why is something up?" she spoke, her tone turning more serious.

_"He's here right now at Master Gen's restaurant. I don't know what's up, but I figured you'd probably like to know."_

The agent's eyes widened as she thought of what she had said in Hong's office.

"Yun, do you have any idea how long he said he would be there for?" she asked.

_ "No, and quite frankly Yang nor I expected to find him here of all places," _Yun replied.

"Well, he does have a habit of showing up where he's least expected. He is a nomad you know," she laughed slightly before her tone again turned serious, "Listen, I need you to make sure he doesn't leave alright? I'm going to need to talk to him and I can be over later tonight. Promise me you will look out for him, okay?"

_"Uh…yeah sure thing, we'll make sure he doesn't leave our sight," _Yun spoke.

"Thank you," Chun-Li said before she hung up and immediately dialed the number of her pilot friend Harry.

"Harry, it's Chun-Li, I need you to get your jet ready pronto. I have to be in Shanghai on official business," the detective spoke.

_"Okay, I'll get to it right away. Is there anything else you're going to need?" _the pilot asked.

"No, I think I have everything I already need, but thank you anyway."

_"Alright, no problem," _he spoke before hanging up.

The Interpol detective now had a new objective ahead of her and had to let Wallace know before she headed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Pasadena, CA_

The motorcycle skidded to a halt and Abel had to grip onto the sidecar's sides to avoid being thrown.

"Okay bub, I gotcha' here just as you wanted," Rufus rambled as the cycle sputtered, almost as if it were threatening to give out at any second.

"Can you please hurry up and get to wherever you need to be," the corpulent fighter's girlfriend Candy called out, nearly squashed to death by his massive bulk, "I love you and all baby, but Mama can barely breathe here," she spoke to Rufus.

With a nod, Abel climbed out of the sidecar and grabbed his travel bag, "I thank you very much for the ride friend and even though the wager was that I ride for free, this is on me," he said handing Rufus a stack of dollar bills.

"Really? Gee thanks pal!" the overweight biker roared eagerly accepting the dollar bills and cramming them into his pockets, "Man, I really gotta do this good deed stuff more often! Just think, I could be a real hero and then they'll start making action figures of me and have me starring in my own movies!"

"What are you talking about baby? You already are a hero," Candy replied wrapping her arms around the large man and started kissing along his podgy cheeks.

"Oh yeah, and I'm gonna be an even bigger hero when I kick Ken Masters' butt all over the globe again!" Rufus roared as he gunned his cycle's accelerator.

"Uh yeah, thanks again for the ride," Abel said with a wave, using the same hand to cover his mouth and nostrils as a cloud of exhaust suddenly shot into his face as the motorcycle took off down the street.

_"Finally some peace and quiet," _the Frenchman thought to himself as he stood quietly on the sidewalk.

It was a nice, calm day, the silence broken only by the chirping of birds and the faint buzz of a lawnmower from a distance. Such a tranquil environment was foreign to a man who had spent most of his time on the battlefield for as long as he could remember.

_"No time to think about that now," _he told himself as he turned around to face a one story white house and then pulled out a piece of paper with an address scribbled upon it to make sure he was at the right place. With a nod of satisfaction he made his way to the front door and knocked.

The barking of a dog came from within followed by a muffled voice telling it to quiet down before the door opened. When there was no face there to greet him, Abel looked down to find a blonde-haired girl of a about eight or nine years of age struggling to hold back a small brown and white dog.

"Deeply sorry, Safu settle down," the child gently ordered as the dog continued to disobey her and now tried to leap at their visitor.

"It's alright child. He isn't hurting anything," the Frenchman smiled and reached his hand downward so the dog could take a sniff before licking it.

The girl gasped at the sight of his massive hand and brought her light blue eyes up to take in the tall muscular man standing above her.

Abel could tell she was intimidated by him, but would do whatever he could to soothe the mood. "That's definitely a cute dog you have. I have one just like him," he said as the dog allowed him to scratch behind its ears.

"Amy, sweetie who's at the door?" an adult woman's voice called out and a second later, a blonde-haired woman appeared behind her daughter, also gasping at the heavily-scarred man standing before them.

"It's okay ma'am," Abel said rising to his full height, "I've come looking for William Guile."

The woman's mouth fell open in shock before she composed herself and spoke, "Amy, go to your room."

"But Mom-" the little girl started to protest before she was cut off.

"Please, just go to your room," the woman gently ordered and the little girl groaned in defeat as she scooped up her dog and made her way down a hall at the back of the living room. When her daughter was out of sight the woman turned to face Abel with a scowl upon her features.

"Alright, who are you and just what are you doing here looking for my husband?" she demanded crossing her arms in front of her and trying to block as much of the entrance as she could.

"It's okay; I mean neither you nor your daughter any harm. My name is Abel and I come in peace," the Frenchman said raising his hands and opening them to show he was unarmed. "Guile is…an old friend of mine…," he blurted out, "…yeah we met back in Africa…"

That story was a partial truth. Indeed Abel had his first face to face encounter with the American serviceman on that airfield after witnessing him launch a 'Sonic Boom' projectile from his crossing arms. He only knew of one other man on this planet who could execute such an attack and was determined to find out how Guile knew that maneuver and what he knew about the man.

In the end he didn't succeed in getting the answers he desired as their fight ended in a brutal stalemate, but he would encounter the Air Force major later on at that Shadaloo base. He and Guile set aside their differences to take down the genetically-engineered demon called Seth before finding the data they needed and rescuing the Interpol agent Chun-Li along the way.

Again, he was left with nothing in the end as both of his companions were recalled by their respective governments.

"Well he never mentioned anything about any friends named Abel," Mrs. Guile replied, her arms still crossed in front of her.

"Yeah…we didn't exactly work together under the most…ideal circumstances," Abel said muttering the last part, looking away for the first time during the encounter.

"Why have you come here?" she again asked.

The French mercenary took some time to compose himself before replying, knowing he had to be careful with his words and tone, "I came seeking information about someone your husband may know, someone I share a past with…whom I owe my very survival to."

Jane Guile's hardened gaze softened slightly into a more quizzical expression as she continued inspecting the mysterious man from head to toe. Judging by all the scars covering his body it was obvious he had seen his fair share of battles and hardship, aside from his obvious choice of attire, lending possible credence to him being a wandering warrior and with it, having a previous encounter with her husband.

"Please Mrs. Guile, I truly mean you no harm. I just wish to find some answers and then go about my way," Abel again spoke, "Is your husband available?"

"No, he's not," Jane replied, finally lowering her defenses, "He's away for his job. Last I heard he was heading down to Mexico as part of some investigation. I honestly can't tell you when he will be back."

Abel stared wordlessly in disbelief before beginning to nod slowly, realizing his trip had been in vain.

"Well then, I guess I'll be on my way-" he was speaking just as Mrs. Guile let out an ear-piercing shriek and began pointing frantically behind him.

Whirling around, the grappler turned to find a blond-haired man standing in the middle of the street wearing what appeared to be a dark blue flight suit with the lower half of his face covered by a flight mask, which amplified the sounds of his breathing.

"Who…who is that man?" Jane blurted out peeking around her visitor's massive shoulder.

Abel did not answer as he met the man's wide-eyed stare of insanity. He had dark blue eyes similar to those of the Frenchman, which suddenly began to glow an eerie shade of purple.

_"Now that definitely looks familiar," _he thought to himself as foot long blades extended from hidden compartments within the man's wrist guards, causing Jane to again scream in horror.

"Get inside! I'll handle him!" Abel shouted.

Jane said nothing and stood silent in shock, unable to take her eyes off of the mysterious madman, who had now begun to slowly stalk his way towards the house. She was paralyzed with fear.

"Quick! Get inside!" the mercenary repeated, standing before the entrance in his fighting stance, ready to hold off the masked man.

"But-"

"Just do it! I'll be alright!" Abel again shouted, reaching a hand back to push her back into the house.

Snapping to attention, she finally did as she was told and slammed the front door shut, locking it behind her.

"Alright, I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not going any further," Abel spoke to the mysterious man, whose only reply was his amplified breathing. He could tell this individual was there to cause damage and needed to be stopped right away.

Without warning, the man shot a thin wire towards him and it wrapped around his wrist.

Abel grimaced as the wire clamped down on his wrist, feeling it cutting off his circulation. Clenching his teeth in pain, he struggled vigorously to free himself from the masked attacker's grip.

The dark-clad man showed no signs of struggle in this tug of war, his feet planted firmly on the ground. Despite being smaller than his target, he seemed display much greater strength and narrowed his eyes as the other man struggled to free himself.

"C'mon…" Abel grunted through clenched teeth as he tried to move his wrist towards him, flexing all of his muscles in his arm through the struggle. At this point he felt if he let go he would risk having his arm torn from its socket. Mounting a Herculean effort to gather all his available strength, he finally managed to lift the man from his feet and send him flying towards him. Before he could hit the ground, the French fighter caught him in midair and slammed him hard to the pavement.

Unfortunately, the hard slam barely fazed the masked man as he quickly rolled back to his feet and delivered a high roundhouse kick that caught Abel in the face and sent him falling to his hands and knees.

The French fighter gagged as the pain shot throughout his face, but when he shot his eyes open he noticed the masked man's shadow enveloping him and rolled to the side before one of the man's blades could slice into his back.

Before Abel could shrug off the pain in his face, his opponent was once again charging towards him, bringing one of his blades in an upward arc that caught him across the chest. Again, the Frenchman had no time to take in what had just happened as his opponent remained on top of him with a combo of punches and kicks, a trail of blood cascading from the fresh gash all the while.

In desperation he shot his leg out and caught the masked man in his kneecap before crouching low and spinning him around, striking him in the back of the head with an overhead hook punch.

This time the man showed signs of feeling the blow, but quickly shook it off and lunged forward with a spinning crescent kick, which Abel would block high and nearly stagger from his feet before catching himself and answering with a high roundhouse kick the struck his opponent in the shoulder. With his opponent stunned, he executed his 'Wheel Kick' and knocked his challenger to the ground.

Abel was still reeling from the blow to his chest and brought his gloved hand away to find every inch of it drenched with blood and then looked down to see the entire lower half of his blue gi top turned crimson.

It was a distraction that would prove to be costly as the mysterious challenger laid a small, timed explosive on the ground near him.

"EXPLOSION!" the man announced as he rolled out of the way just in time.

Before Abel could react, the bomb detonated and sent him flying backwards.

"Damn it!" he grunted, feeling the burning pain all over his torso and arms, his gi top now mostly a tattered mess.

The mystery man now hovered over him with the same blade extended that had already drawn his own blood.

"You're not Guile, but you'll do just fine," the man spoke, his tone cold and robotic as his insane eyes again glowed purple.

_"Move damn it move!" _Abel thought to himself and he executed his 'Marseilles Roll' to evade yet another attempted swipe from the wrist-mounted blades.

The mercenary landed awkwardly on his feet and staggered down to a knee, huffing and puffing as he eyeballed his challenger, whom he now knew had been seeking out Guile himself, but for what reason he did not know.

Abel found himself crossing his arms to block another incoming blow as the man launched himself into the air, his boot bouncing off the Frenchman's scarred, muscular arms. He would then duck low to dodge another swipe of the man's blade that was aimed at his throat, then parry a fierce punch directed at his face before finding an opening and grabbing the man by his flight vest, swinging him around in circles before slamming him down onto the pavement.

The mystery man slowly pushed himself back to his feet after taking another slam that would have rendered a normal man unconscious. Popping his shoulder back into place he resumed his fighting stance. Abel would grant him no time to recover as he charged towards him and unleashed a flurry of punches before ending with a rising elbow strike that caught him on his covered chin and sent him airborne.

As soon as the man hit the ground, Abel was already mounting him and raining down a flurry of fists and elbows upon his face before wrapping his hands around the man's throat, hoping to choke him into submission.

Out of desperation, the masked man shot his arm upward and plunged his blade into the grappler's upper arm, causing him to cry out in pain. Finally forced to take his hand away from his throat, the man would shoot his boot into Abel's gut and force him off.

Freed from Abel's powerful grasp, the man grabbed him by the shoulders and fell backwards, again driving his foot into the mercenary's gut and shoving him off.

Pain traveled throughout Abel's body as he lay on the concrete, now a bloody mess thanks to the numerous cuts already inflicted upon his body. He was getting severely weakened from the loss of blood, but knew he had to keep fighting.

"Argh!" he grunted as he felt another powerful slash against his back and spun around to find his opponent glaring at him with his eerie purple eyes, his wrist-mounted blades drenched in fresh blood.

_"You won't bring me down that easily," _he thought to himself as he ducked low and shot his foot out, catching the masked man in the same kneecap as earlier and then driving his knee repeatedly into his gut before spinning him around and once again slamming him down into the pavement, hard enough to crack beneath his form this time around.

"Damn…" Abel grunted as he could feel himself getting weaker with every passing second, but doing whatever he could to stay in the fight. He was about to reach down for the fallen man when was again taken by surprise.

"RISING SLICE!" the mystery man announced as he suddenly launched himself spinning into the air with his blade extended, taking Abel with him and slicing him repeatedly.

Jane Guile screamed in horror as she watched the spectacle through her living room window, watching the stranger called Abel being slashed repeatedly by some blade-wielding madman who appeared to be on the verge of winning the confrontation and would no doubt kill the Frenchman if she didn't act quickly.

"Mommy, what's going on?" a little voice called out from behind her and she turned to find her daughter Amy in the hall with her faithful companion Safu behind her.

"Sweetie, go back to your room! Please!" she ordered, sounding a bit harsher than she had intended as she reached for a nearby cordless phone and dialed 911.

_"911, what is the nature of your emergency?" _an operator spoke from the other end.

"Please, you have to help me! An armed man is attacking another man outside of my home and he's going to kill him! You have to send somebody over here right away!" Jane shouted frantically.

_"Ma'am please remain calm. May I ask who is calling and may I please have your address?" _the woman on the other end spoke.

"My name is Jane Guile and I live at 124 East Evergreen Avenue. Please just send somebody right away! He's probably going to come after me if you don't!" she again screamed, feeling her pulse pounding rapidly.

_"Okay, we will be sending police and emergency units immediately. Please stay on the line with me," _the operator ordered.

Jane ignored the woman's plea and hung up, beginning to dial the numbers of other people whom she knew would help.

Abel gasped loudly as he lay struggling near the curb, his blood flowing into a nearby storm drain. His mysterious challenger drove his boot repeatedly into his side, stopping only to shove his head onto the curb and bring his boot down. The mercenary however would move his head at the last second and force himself into another roll, delivering a hard uppercut to the man's groin.

With his opponent left stunned by the blow, Abel forced himself back to his feet and with all his might, executed another 'Tornado Throw' that would again slam him back down into the pavement. It wouldn't end there as he knew that he now had to put this guy out for good.

"BREATHLESS!" Abel called out as he lifted the man onto his shoulders and began slamming him repeatedly into the ground, performing the ultra combo two more times to make sure he would put the man out of commission for good, eventually breaking the concrete beneath and slamming the man straight down into the sewers.

Heavily weakened from the blood loss and other injuries inflicted upon him, Abel could feel himself getting lightheaded and his vision began to spin before multiplying, making it look like there were hundreds of residents making their way out of their homes to see what all of the commotion had been about, when in truth there was only a small handful of people.

"No…it's not safe…" the Frenchman weakly gasped as a series of flashing red and blue lights approached him, accompanied by ear-piercing sirens that served only to rattle his bones and drop him to his knees, "…go…back inside…" he ordered before the screeching of tires followed and by then he was out cold.

Jane Guile watched in horror as the mysterious Frenchman collapsed onto her front lawn, literally having driven that creepy masked man through the street. By now a trio of squad cars had approached and some officers immediately got out and made their way towards the fallen man as an ambulance sped into view from the opposite direction. By now a majority of her neighbors were also making their way onto the street to get a better view of the goings on.

"Oh god…please be alright…" she muttered just as her phone rang again and she looked down towards the caller ID.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Fort McDaniel Air Force Base, Nevada, U.S.A._

Guile exhaled deeply as he stepped off the transport plane, glad to be back home, and furthermore, glad to be out of that stuff suit of his as he was once again clad in his typical fighting gear along with his dark blue jacket.

For now he had no idea of what he would do, aside from maybe going to that one bar outside the base.

_"I need a break after that trip to Mexico. Come to think of it, I think Westinghouse has wanted to challenge me to a rematch for quite some time," _he told himself, thinking of his primary rival at darts.

He was interrupted from his thought as a green jeep came speeding towards him and a young private came flying out.

"Major Guile, you need to get home right away. There's been an attack outside your home," Private Jensen reported, tensing as he knew of the major's temper.

"What?" the serviceman barked, "What the hell happened?"

"Your wife couldn't say much because she was about to be interviewed by the cops, but she said that there was some mysterious French guy who had been there looking for you when he was attacked by some other guy. She said his name was Abel or something along those lines."

Guile suddenly paled at the mention of the other man's name, remembering him as that guy who had barely been able to save him and Chun-Li from that Shadaloo base last year. What was he doing here and why?

Without a word, Guile climbed into the jeep and took off, leaving Private Jensen standing alone and ignoring the protests of his other colleagues present.

Meanwhile, assuming it was safe to get off, Little Eagle popped out from behind a wooden crate at the back of the transport plane, having stowed away after tracking Guile all the way back to that airport a couple miles outside the Thunderfoot reservation.

A loud squawk diverted her attention and she turned to the bald eagle perched on her shoulder, "Libertad, hush!" she hissed towards her avian friend.

"What was that?" she heard a voice call out and peeked around an opposite corner of the crate to find a serviceman stepping into view with his assault rifle drawn, flanked from both sides by two colleagues.

"That almost sounded like a bird," another operative reported.

"Wouldn't doubt it? We get them around here all the time," the third soldier added.

Little Eagle listened in for the soldiers and when she didn't hear anything within the next few moments she decided it was time to move. She would somehow have to find a way out of the air force base without being caught, knowing she would face serious charges if caught.

It wouldn't be anything new to her, having learned all about sneaking and infiltration tactics alongside Thunder Hawk as a child.

"Time to get started," she whispered as she prepared to exit the plane.

XXXXXXXXXXX

_San Francisco, CA U.S.A._

Loud cries of battle echoed from the backyard of the Masters Estate and throughout the woods beyond.

"HADOKEN," Ken Masters shouted as he thrust his palms forward and sent a glowing blue ball of energy towards his opponent.

"JUSTICE FIST," Allen Snider replied as he shot his fist outward, negating the projectile.

The two fighters had been going back and forth for several minutes now while Ken's newly-acquired student Sean observed the proceedings from the nearby patio, soaking in everything he could in hopes he could one day be on their level of greatness.

Ken performed a forward flip to close the gap between him and Allen and the two men locked into a close range back and forth struggle, exchanging punches and kicks that were blocked, dodged or parried. Eventually both men would attempt a simultaneous fierce punch and their fists would collide, sending a shockwave of pain through their respective arms and forcing them to stumble backward clutching their sore appendages.

"I've gotta say Allen, you've gotten a lot better since our last encounter," Ken grunted, trying to shake the pain out of his arm.

"Heh, I'm not the 'big fish in a small pond' that I used to be," the Southern fighter chuckled, feigning fatigue before suddenly ducking low and delivering a spinning sweep that knocked the rich playboy from his feet. Bringing his foot high into the air, he attempted to bring it down upon Ken's face, but the former karate champion rolled out of the way before he could connect.

Launching himself back to his feet Ken leapt into the air and began spinning around with his leg extended.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!" he roared as he pelted his opponent with kicks, most of which Allen had brought his arms up to block, but finally connected wit the last kick that snapped his head off to the side. With his opponent stunned Ken saw his next opportunity.

"SHORYUKEN!" he called out as he delivered a flaming dragon punch to his opponent, temporarily setting him ablaze as he was launched into the air, the flames dissipating as he hit the grassy earth below.

"And I thought you said you weren't that big fish in the small pond anymore," Ken taunted as he hopped up and down.

Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Allen shoved himself back to his feet, "I ain't going down that easily," he growled before thrusting his hands forward.

"SOUL FORCE!" he shouted as he launched a reddish-yellow projectile towards his opponent, who would leap over the projectile, but it was a trap as Allen launched himself into the air with a vaulting kick that caught Ken in his stomach and sent him tumbling to the ground.

"You're not the only one who can do that Masters," Allen snickered as he resumed his fighting stance.

Ken only grunted in reply and charged head on towards his friendly rival, executing a backward roundabout kick that Allen would block and then a heel kick which he would bring his foot up to parry, again knocking both men backward, but it would be the playboy who would recover first as he grabbed his challenger and spun both of them backward, performing his 'Hell Spin' throw.

Just as both men rose back to their feet they were halted by the back door flying open.

"Ken! Ken!" Eliza called out as she came flying out with her cell phone in hand.

The sparring match ceased and the two Ansatsuken fighters turned to receive the distraught woman.

"Eliza, what's wrong?" Ken asked as she fell into his arms.

"It's Jane, some mysterious guy showed up at her doorstep looking for Will and then he was attacked by some assassin," she blurted out, taking time to catch her breath.

Ken and Allen both stared at each other in shock while Sean looked on from the background.

"What all happened? Did she say?" Ken asked his terrified wife.

"She said that they were both still alive and that they were taken to the nearby hospital. She also claimed that this guy knew Guile, Abel she said his name was," she spoke as the tears rolled freely from her blue eyes.

"Abel…crap I know that man!" Ken gasped and then looked over to Allen.

"You do?" his friend asked him with a dumbfounded expression.

"Yeah, Ryu and I briefly encountered him at one point when we had our run-in with those S.I.N. guys. We don't know what happened to him after that," Ken answered.

"Well Jane's there with him right now and said he was in the middle of surgery. She says that she's already gotten through to Will and that he's on his way as they speak. He wants to talk to that guy as soon as he wakes up," Eliza explained as she managed to calm herself.

"If he's decided to show up from out of the blue like this then something's gotta be up," Ken said to Allen, who only nodded in acknowledgment.

"So what are you going to do then?" Eliza asked him, tensing up at his possible response.

Ken again looked over to his friend, "We're gonna have to go down and pay them a visit. They're going to need all the support they can get. Besides, I've been looking to somehow make it up to them for being a pain in the ass all these years," looking down into Eliza's sapphire-colored eyes as he uttered the last sentence.

"I'll come with you," Allen chimed in, "For some reason, I'm getting a bad vibe about this whole deal."

"How so?" Ken asked, feeling Eliza tighten her grip on him.

"I don't know man; it just started eating away at me…especially when you mention somebody who has a past with Shadaloo," Allen replied rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fine, you can come along," Ken said as he released his grip on Eliza and started towards the estate.

"What about me? Can I come along too?" Sean eagerly called out, only to be halted by the Ansatsuken warrior raising his hand.

"Absolutely not," was Ken's direct reply.

"But Master-" Sean tried to continue.

"Sean, you are just beginning your training and I will not risk exposing you to this kind of danger," Ken shot back before the teen could even utter a protest.

The young Brazilian growled in anger and balled his fists until his veins threatened to pop through. Ken saw this and did what he could to calm him down.

"Look, I understand you are just beginning and probably want to do whatever you can to prove yourself, but as your sensei it is also my job to protect you from dangers of this magnitude," he said placing a hand on the youth's shoulder and looking him directly in the eye, "These Shadaloo creeps mean business and no doubt wouldn't have any qualms against harming an inexperienced fighter, let alone a teenager like yourself. They are monsters without remorse."

"I would listen to him if I were you," Allen stepped in, "I've seen what those maniacs are capable of and wouldn't think twice about doing God knows what on you."

"Please Sean," Ken again spoke, "I appreciate that you want to help us out, but you have to understand your limitations. I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm saying this for your own protection."

Sean continued staring at the two experienced warriors unable to say anything for a few moments before he finally grunted in defeat, "Fine, I'll stay behind then, but if you need anything I'll be there for you."

"Stay here and protect Eliza and Mel. That's something you can do for me," Ken said motioning towards his wife.

The red-clad warrior then turned to his friend, "Shall we?"

"Let's," Allen replied as they made their way towards the mansion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Shadaloo HQ_

"Soon my beautiful children your time will come," Bison proclaimed as he closely inspected the reassembled Shadaloo Dolls standing at attention before him.

Altogether Juli, Enero, Fevrier, Satsuki, Santamu, Decapre, Jianyu and Xiayu were gathered, clad in their matching black bodysuits, the last operative with her leg bandaged after being shot.

The dictator's inspection was interrupted as the laboratory's double doors opened behind him and Dr. Senoh approached him flanked by two guards.

"Lord Bison, I've just been informed that Doctrine Dark has been defeated," the elderly researcher reported.

With a snort, he turned to face his subordinate, "By whom?" he demanded, his eyes glowing in annoyance.

"According to surveillance footage from one of our monitor units, we've determined it was that rogue specimen…Abel I believe his name is," Senoh spoke.

"Him?" Bison glowered, "I thought I had rid myself of him along with that nuisance Seth. I guess that is not to be. I do wonder what business he had with that troublesome scamp Guile though," he said placing a hand to his chin.

A while back some of his henchmen had successfully managed to capture the deranged killer Doctrine Dark, a costly operation that had resulted in the deaths of thirteen foot soldiers.

Bison was well aware of his past with Guile and decided it would be perfectly fitting to have him be the one to take out the bothersome serviceman who had been a thorn in his side for far too long.

Unfortunately, he had not foreseen the mercenary's interference.

_"There are still plenty of ways I can deal with both of them. This is just a minor setback," _the dictator thought to himself.

"What should we do about Dark my lord?" Senoh inquired clasping his hands together, "We've determined that he was taken away by the same medical team that was dispatched to handle Abel. There is a possibility his brainwashing may wear off once he awakens and that could make authorities suspicious."

Lord Bison smiled in reply, "Rest assured he will be dealt with immediately. I have already dispatched an agent to handle the matter."

"Very well my lord," the researcher nodded before taking his leave.

Once the elderly man was gone Bison turned to face another individual who had been lurking in the shadows the entire time.

"I understand you and him have a history as well. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, you will now have your chance to deal with him one on one. I would suggest you get ready," the dictator smirked.

The shadowy figure nodded in acknowledgment.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Shanghai, China_

"Wow, that truly was impressive," Yang gasped as he sat across from the legendary vagabond warrior, who was in the process of finishing his plate of Peking duck.

"Impressive, but not easy," Ryu spoke before washing the last bits of meat down with his tea.

"Not every day you get to fight a demon-possessed karate expert," Yun added before shoving a cluster of dim sum into his mouth.

"Now cut that out Yun!" his girlfriend Houmei said elbowing him in the side and forcing him to cough some of it out.

"Hey watch it, you almost made me choke!" the teenager shouted with his mouth full, spitting out more chunks of food and causing the young woman to shudder in disgust.

"I swear sometimes I'm more like a mother to you than I am a girlfriend," she complained while Yang and his girlfriend Shaomei snickered in the background.

It was now in the later hours of the night and the Genhaten restaurant had just recently closed its doors. While a few other workers milled about their after hours routines, the four adolescents sat around a table towards the back of the room listening to stories from Ryu's many travels around the world. Needless to say, they were left awestruck by the wealth of material he had to share with them.

"So what about this Sagat guy?" Yang inquired, "Have you had any encounters with him since?"

"It has been over a year since I have had any form of contact with him," Ryu replied as he dabbed a napkin around the corners of his mouth, "I have no doubt in my mind he has been training for a rematch. Only when fate permits will it happen."

"And when it does happen it's going to be a battle of the ages," Yun added.

"I wouldn't view it as such, more so the final chapter of a long, winding story that has gone on much longer than it should have," the Ansatsuken master replied, "one that has seen some lapses into an unnecessary darkness, one that has seen a beacon of redemption for one."

"I don't know if I comprehend all of what you just said, but that sounds pretty deep," Shaomei spoke from behind Yang.

"The answers will come within due time. Nothing desired arrives within a short amount," Ryu explained.

Yun yawned loudly and stretched out his arms, "Oh man am I getting beat. This has been a long day and I've enjoyed listening to your stories Ryu, but right now I've gotta hit the sack," the youngster said standing up and cracking his knuckles.

"It has been a pleasure," the vagabond nodded in reply.

When the elder twin disappeared from sight Yang again spoke up, "So Ryu, this Akuma guy, do you think he's still out there? Master Gen has mentioned him before, but never told us as much as you did."

Ryu's gaze darkened at the mention of the demonic warrior.

"I'm sorry, but I do not like to discuss him. He is a dangerous man and if Gen hasn't mentioned much about him, then it was probably for your own protection."

Yang stopped himself and swallowed hard before speaking again, "Terribly sorry. Please forgive me."

"It is fine," Ryu nodded, _"I shouldn't say anything else. With the way his brother acts so cocky, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried hunting down Akuma themselves if he ever came near them."_

The feeling of dread returned to the Ansatsuken master as he thought of his inhuman adversary and he looked away, the three remaining teens staring intently at him.

"Are you sure you're alright Mr. Ryu?" asked Houmei.

"I'm fine," he replied rubbing the corners of his eyes, "I've had a long day. I think I might need to get myself some rest."

"Okay then, please let me show you to your room," Yang said rising to his feet while Houmei and Shaomei joined the other workers in cleaning the restaurant.

"I'm afraid we don't have much to offer, but please bear with us. Master Gen's restaurant has fallen on hard times lately," Yang explained as he led Ryu upstairs to the apartments.

"There is no need to worry. I appreciate your hospitality regardless of the circumstances," Ryu replied as he was being led to the apartment, when the teenager suddenly stopped and motioned for him to halt.

"Shh, do you hear that?" he asked.

The two of them listened for what sounded like a window opening and Yang crept closer towards the door to his and Yun's shared apartment. Grabbing the knob he twisted it as quietly as he could and opened it a crack before finally throwing it open.

"Ha! Gotcha' now-" he called out expecting to find his older brother, but was instead met by an opened window and the curtains fluttering in the nighttime breeze.

"What the hell?" Yang called out as he rushed over to the opened window and peeked outside to find the white-clad teen grinding down the nearby awning on his skateboard, letting out a loud "Yahoo!" as he bounced off the roof of a passing bus before finally hitting the ground and speeding down the street.

"I think I have an idea of where he is heading off to," Ryu spoke up and the younger Lee brother turned to find a flyer in his hand.

Snatching the leaflet from his guest's hand, Yang looked it over before crumpling it into a ball, "Another tournament? Damn it Yun! I should've known!"

Ryu smirked in the background, "I take it he does this quite a bit?"

"You could say that again," Yang grunted, "Damned showoff. Last time he snuck off like this, he nearly got us in trouble with some Triad goons. On top of all that, Master Gen found out and forced us to wake up at the crack of dawn every day for two weeks to have us repaint the entire building! I swear I'm gonna strangle him when I see him again!"

"Patience friend," Ryu said placing a hand on the teen's shoulder to calm him down.

Yang took a few deep breaths before sighing in defeat and opening the crumpled flyer, "I guess I'm going to have to track him down and get him back home before Master finds out."

"Let me look for him," the vagabond suggested, much to his surprise.

"Are you serious Ryu? You've had a long day and need your rest. Besides, I doubt you know this area very well," Yang protested.

"Relax; I've known your master and your Uncle Lee for years. They've been kind enough to show me around before," Ryu replied before leaning a little closer, "Besides, I think you should stay and watch over Master Gen. I don't think he is feeling very well at the moment."

"Okay, I'll stay behind," Yang replied with great reluctance, "Just be safe."

"I will," Ryu replied as he made his way out of the apartment on a mission to track down the wayward Lee brother.

Author's Notes:

In a bit of a spoiler, I was originally going to have it where Eagle from SF1 would have played the role of the brainwashed attacker outside of Guile's home, but then I remembered how I'm trying to incorporate SF EX characters into this story as well and it made me think of Doctrine Dark's past with Guile from that continuity, so I figured I'd make him the attacker instead, perhaps thinking that Guile was either home or just wanting to terrorize his family altogether.

Also, I will admit that I have never played any of the EX games, so I might not be accurate with how some of D. Dark's moves are executed, which might eat away at me at times because I'm very anal retentive about describing how special moves are carried out (i.e. the character does a forward flip and comes down with their heel ablaze, they launch a neon-blue projectile towards their opponent, they punch the ground and create a small explosion, etc.). I might have given this disclaimer in a past chapter, but figured I would repeat it anyway.

Tune in for the next chapter where I promise there will be a clash between two familiar rivals, I'm sure you'll probably figure out who I'm talking about once you read the chapter's title.

Until next time, read and review!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME…AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TOO! HO! HO! HO! \m/


	10. Clash of the Dragon and the Tiger

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: And so I return to you my loyal views, but I will point out that I considered an alternate title for this chapter, which would be "The Dragon, The Tiger and The Demons." Whatever title you pick is up to you!

I apologize for the delay as I was distracted by the holidays and some of the new games I got as presents (also from my recent birthday) so I hope all of you had happy holidays yourselves!

I don't have much else to ramble on about so until then, on with the story!

Chapter 10: Clash of the Dragon and the Tiger

_Shanghai, China_

It was now the later hours of night as Sagat walked through the streets of Shanghai, still bustling with activity.

The one-eyed giant ignored the stares of curious residents as he moved about, clad in a black hooded sweatshirt and matching track pants that clung tightly to his muscular form as he lugged the large travel bag over his shoulder.

_"He has to be nearby," _he told himself as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with an address scribbled onto it.

The former champion was in the city on business, more specifically to locate a man whom he knew had a history with his longtime rival Ryu, the man called Gen.

It had been years since he had seen the legendary assassin, but knew he was still alive after the events involving S.I.N. and wanted to track him down so he could learn of Ryu's whereabouts.

Typically, whenever he wanted something or someone he was used to tracking it down all by himself, but a recent encounter had left him thinking otherwise.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Kerala, India – 3 Days Ago_

Sagat had just finished applying the wraps around his fists and tapped his fists together as he turned around to take in the environment around him.

It was a nice bright sunny day and he was standing near an ancient monument surrounded by a multitude of Hindi statues, where several worshippers congregated in the distance to pray to the deities represented. To his surprise, several elephants were present, all of them apparently unafraid of the humans.

"Welcome Sagat," a deep voice called out.

Turning his attention to a nearby tree, a bald-headed figure sat obscured within its lengthy shadow, levitating as he sat in a lotus position.

"Could it be?" the Thai fighter asked staring towards the smaller man in confusion.

"I am aware you have come seeking me out," the Indian fighter replied as his feet touched the ground and he walked into the sunlight. Indeed he possessed an unusual appearance with his toned limbs, yet emaciated abdomen and pupil-less eyes. Three red stripes adorned his bald head and he was clad in nothing but a pair of torn saffron shorts and an equally bizarre necklace, one consisting of three tiny skulls that must have belonged to those of children.

"You are?" the kickboxer asked, but then stopped himself. He was aware of Dhalsim's reputation and had heard rumors he was capable of telepathic feats.

The mystic nodded, "And I sense you are greatly troubled."

Sagat was taken aback by the man's comment, but tried his best to remain calm.

"I sense the anger within your soul. You have tried your best to escape its grasp, truly commendable indeed, yet you find yourself unable to," Dhalsim added.

"Guess I have a lot going on in my life," Sagat grunted.

"Not as much as you think my friend," the yoga master replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the Thai fighter asked, feeling great annoyance.

"The anger from which you try to escape has blinded you. It creates great illusions within your mind that make you feel more than you should. That anger is followed by great confusion. You are confused about life."

"Am I?" Sagat asked cocking an eyebrow.

Dhalsim nodded and continued his homily, "Much like your greatest rival, you live only for the fight. You train constantly for your rematch, believing it will help you to escape from the pressures of the world around you if you focus on nothing else, but then when you finally do get this rematch you so greatly desire what happens next?"

Again the self-proclaimed Emperor of Muay Thai was left in shock, like the numinous warrior could truly read him like an open book. He hadn't thought much of what would await him once he had succeeded in getting his sought after rematch with the wandering Ansatsuken master. Never once had he asked himself 'What will become?' once he gets what he desires.

"Well the last time we fought it wasn't under ideal circumstances. Ryu had been brainwashed by Bison," Sagat explained, a sour taste left in his mouth after being forced to utter the mad dictator's name.

Dhalsim again nodded, "An event which left you asking yourself 'What if?' as it was left corrupted by an outside force. Still, you seek this event endlessly and you have allowed it to consume your entire existence."

"Hmmm, I guess it's a feeling only Ryu could bring out of me. He is unlike any other opponent I have ever fought. I feel like I have to get a fair match out of him, so we can truly see who the better man is," Sagat explained looking off to the side.

"It would be safe to assume your first encounter was tainted by an outside force as well?" Dhalsim inquired.

Sagat's fists clenched as his mind flashed back to his very first encounter with a then young man barely into adulthood, whom he assumed would be a total pushover. In the end, his overconfidence had led him to underestimate the youth, but it wasn't entirely that which would bring about his downfall.

"Some force possessed him," Sagat answered, "Something inhuman. He wasn't himself when he felled me."

"Father!" a youthful voice called out, distracting the two men from their conversation.

They turned to find a bald-headed boy rushing towards them followed by a dark-haired woman clad in traditional Indian dress.

"Ah Datta, what news do you bring?" Dhalsim asked, his tone lightening a little as the child approached waving an envelope in hand.

"My pen pal Amy wrote me back!" Datta chimed happily, only to stop himself when he noticed the giant towering over him, "Oh, I didn't know you had company Father."

"Do not worry child, you disturb nothing," Sagat spoke, a smile creeping into his usually dour façade.

"He is all excited Dhalsim," the woman explained before grabbing her son by the shoulder, "I shall take him back inside."

"No Sally, leave him," the Hindu warrior spoke raising his hand.

Sally stared towards her husband in confusion before he spoke again, "I do have one favor to ask of you."

"Name it," Sagat replied.

"My son has never had the opportunity to watch me fight. He has only heard stories of my previous encounters and has expressed an interest in learning how to fight so that he may one day carry on my legacy of helping those in need. You are a powerful warrior Sagat and would provide a worthwhile challenge. Will you please accept my challenge so that he may bear witness to his father's abilities?" Dhalsim asked.

Sagat was hesitant to reply.

His mind was taken back to that one fateful fight all those years ago. Shortly after he first became the 'Emperor of Muay Thai' he had engaged in a contest against a powerful challenger named Go Hibiki, a particularly brutal encounter which had cost him the use of his right eye. Enraged by this act, he ended up beating the man to death.

Little did he know, the entire fight was witnessed by the man's young son, Dan Hibiki.

He remembered how the young man would spend much of his early adulthood tracking him down so he could have his revenge, all because he had beaten his own father to death before his very own eyes.

Knowing of the negative effect it could have upon a child he didn't want to have history repeat itself.

"I can sense your vacillation and fully understand why," Dhalsim spoke, reading his guest's thoughts, "but do not fear. I know you have learned from your past battles and trust you will not make the same mistake again."

Sagat stared at him again before shrugging, "I guess it could be a worthwhile experience for the child. Alright, I accept your challenge."

"Very well then," the mystic replied before teleporting a few feet away from his opponent, "Hold nothing back."

He didn't know why, but for some reason Sagat suddenly began to feel comfortable within the man's presence and entered his fighting stance.

"Alright, let's give your son a worthwhile lesson…TIGER!" the Muay Thai fighter called out, shooting a crescent-shaped blade of energy from his outstretched arms.

Utilizing his superior flexibility, Dhalsim bent backwards to avoid the attack and then launched himself forward, crouching low before shooting both his arms out and nailing his opponent in the chest with both fists.

Sagat grunted before shrugging the blow off. It was no surprise to him as he had heard of the Hindu warrior's ability to stretch his limbs. He waited for the man to make his next move, leaping into the air as his opponent slid along the ground towards him. Before the giant fighter's feet could touch the ground, he heard the other man cry out "Yoga!" and the man suddenly appeared in front of him, delivering a multi-hit head butt to his chest.

With his opponent temporarily stunned, Dhalsim followed up with a knee strike to the taller man's stomach and then grabbed him as he buckled over, punching him on top of his skull repeatedly before tossing him away.

Sagat smarted from the barrage, but pushed himself back to his feet, only to find himself on the defensive again as he raised his knee to block a high kick compliments of Dhalsim's elongated leg.

"YOGA FIRE!" the mystic cried before spitting a fireball towards his larger opponent.

Leaping over the attack, the Muay Thai fighter extended his long leg towards his Indian opponent, but the man would again teleport to avoid the attack. As soon as Dhalsim's feet touched the ground he would again leap into the air, charging towards his opponent headfirst in a slow, spiraling motion.

Finally seeing an opening, Sagat shot his foot out and caught the man hard in the shoulder, bringing him crashing to the ground.

With a stifled grunt, Dhalsim pushed himself back to his feet and then found himself ducking underneath a 'Tiger Shot' fired in his direction.

It was now Sagat's turn to go on the offensive and he followed up with one of his special moves.

"TIGER CRUSH," he announced as he shot himself into the air with his knee extended, only to strike thin air as Dhalsim again teleported to a safer spot. Unfortunately for Sagat he was left wide open as he recovered from his missed attack.

"YOGA BLAST," a voice called out from behind and before he could turn around, an upward cloud of flame was shot into his face.

The Muay Thai master yelped in pain as the fire scorched his skin and he was knocked to the ground. The flames dissipated as quickly as they appeared and he now struggled back to his feet.

"Indeed you possess great endurance and resilience. Now I know why I am within the presence of a man who has been called a 'champion.' You truly fight like the animal for which you have named your moves after," the yoga master complimented.

"I am flattered by your praise, but this fight is not yet over," Sagat replied as he forced himself back to his feet.

"Very well," Dhalsim spoke before attempting another long ranged jab.

Sagat raised his knee in time to parry the blow and then knelt down to fire another 'Tiger Shot' from a crouched position, which Dhalsim would leap over and respond with another 'Yoga Fire' attack that canceled out the projectile.

_"He wants me to tire myself out," _the Muay Thai fighter told himself as he sized up his opponent, _"He wants to get inside my head too with all those tricks of his. I have to stay on top if I want to succeed."_

When his gigantic opponent did nothing for several moments, Dhalsim began to launch another flurry of long reaching attacks towards his opponent, all of which were either blocked or dodged. He continued with his defenses until the yoga master attempted to go for another airborne spiral attack, this time moving feet first. Now it was time to act.

"TIGER UPPERCUT," Sagat shouted as he launched himself into the air with his meaty fist extended, catching the lanky man in his gut and dropping him in mid attack.

Dhalsim wheezed heavily after taking the mighty blow and with a Herculean effort forced himself back to his feet.

"You are a mighty warrior Sagat, but this fight cannot yet conclude," the mystic spoke before he attempted a powered up technique.

"YOGA INFERNO!" he called out and breathed an entire stream of fire upon his opponent.

Sagat was ready to answer with his own super art.

"TIGER CANNON!" he shouted as he shot his arms forward and launched his own torrent of fire upon his challenger.

Both moves collided, but in the end the Muay Thai emperor's attack proved more powerful, plowing through the stream of fire and striking the yoga master head on. A small explosion finished the burst and Dhalsim was again sent crashing to the hard earth.

Sagat breathed heavily and sunk to a knee after unleashing the powerful projectile. He looked over to the mystic's prone form and breathed a sigh of relief as the man stirred back into consciousness, thankful he would not be making another child fatherless today.

"Father!" Datta called out as he rushed over to clasp his father's arm, while Sally followed close behind and took her husband's head into her hands. It took a few minutes before the man could regain his bearings and when he did he sat upright.

"You have won this challenge Sagat. It truly has been an honor to fight you and I thank you further for allowing my child to see me fight," he said motioning towards the boy.

"It has been my pleasure," the one-eyed master replied as he turned on his heel and was about to walk away when his fallen opponent called out again.

"You know, you and Ryu are more alike than you would like to admit," Dhalsim spoke.

Sagat stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the mystic, "What do you mean by that?"

"You both claim to be warriors that live for the fight and seek challenges with the aim of bettering yourselves on the battlefield, yet there is more that you end up fighting for in the end," Dhalsim explained.

Things were getting too freaky and the Thai fighter narrowed his good eye towards the Indian mystic.

"Quit with the riddles and get to the point. What do you mean I fight for more than I think?" Sagat demanded.

"There is always more to fight for," Dhalsim replied as he took one of the skulls into his hand, "The very skulls you see before you are those of children died during a plague which swept through my village. I wear their skulls as a reminder of why I fight, so that no other innocents may endure a fate similar to theirs."

With some help from both his wife and child the mystic rose back to his feet and approached Sagat, "You too fought for a greater good when you helped to liberate Ryu from his brainwashing. You saved countless lives with your good deed and prevented many more future catastrophes. That was only the beginning and will not be your last good deed to be carried out."

"What are you saying?" the Thai asked looking down upon Dhalsim.

"There are other threats afoot in the world," he spoke in a gravely serious tone.

"Do you mean Shadaloo?" Sagat inquired.

Dhalsim nodded, "In a matter of speaking yes, but more than just your former employer."

Sagat growled at the mention of the insidious organization which formerly employed him, "I should've known that bastard wouldn't stay dead and gone forever."

"You still feel contaminated by their influence in spite of your willful resignation," Dhalsim spoke, to which the Thai warrior offered a curt nod. "Honor still resides within your soul Sagat. It is not too late for redemption."

"Well thanks for your pep talk, but there are others who would think otherwise," the one-eyed man replied.

"You will have your chance and when you do, you cannot fight this evil alone. You must embrace your rival as an ally to succeed," Dhalsim explained.

Sagat's gaze then turned quizzical, "Are you saying I have to team up with Ryu?"

Dhalsim nodded, "There are greater threats in the world, but he is not one of them. In spite of your shared history, you must learn to overcome your differences for the sake of the greater good."

"Well where can I find him?" Sagat demanded.

"Give me a minute," the mystic replied as he closed his eyes and went into deep meditation. When the minute past he opened his pure white eyes and took a deep breath. "He is on his way to Shanghai to partake in another tournament. You must leave at once if you wish to find him. There are others who seek him out as well."

"Shanghai?" Sagat muttered to himself when he remembered a familiar face from the first World Warriors tournament who resided there. "Okay, I will be on my way."

"Be cautious in your journey. Once you find him your life is destined to change forever," Dhalsim spoke as he parted.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Present Day_

_ "I still have yet to fully comprehend what that witch doctor was trying to tell me," _Sagat told himself as he strolled down the street looking for the Genhaten restaurant. Heeding the mystic's words he knew he needed to find Ryu and would prevail upon the one man he knew could probably help.

A distant rumble caught the Muay Thai fighter's attention as he passed a nearby alley and he stopped to listen.

"Could that be what I think it is?" he whispered to himself as he walked down the alley and proceeded to follow the source of the sound.

He continued down a dark, damp, graffiti-laden alley and descended a short flight of stairs until he came across a small enclosure where a couple of drunks staggered about and stray dogs dug through overturned trashcans in search of food. The rumble was much clearer this time and he could now tell exactly what it was.

It was the sound of spectators cheering.

Given a rough part of the neighborhood he could only think of one reason why a group of people would be congregated here and he began picking up speed as he walked down the darkened alley.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryu watched silently from the stands as the tournament progressed throughout the night, having watched a slew of local fighters in action. Despite the various styles he had seen utilized, all of the matches had been brief encounters where there was little time for most of the contestants to show what skills they possessed, thus failing to capture his attention for the most part.

The only fighter who had managed to impress him thus far was the very youth he had been sent to look after.

Yun stood in the ring patiently awaiting his final opponent. He had breezed through the tournament, feeling bored with his challengers and wondering if this had been a complete waste of time. Then again, the greedier part of his soul reminded him that as long as there was a hefty cash reward in the end, it would always be worth it.

The crowd started cheering as the teen's final opponent made her way into the ring, also a teenager herself. She was a fairly attractive young woman with short stylishly cut black hair and wearing a camouflage tank top along with black leather pants and matching biker boots.

"So you're my final opponent of the evening, huh? Had no idea you'd be this cute. The name's Akira, Akira Kazama," she said adjusting her black and red gloves.

"I'm Yun, Yun Lee," the Kenpo expert replied, "I'm flattered by your compliment and everything, but I've already got a woman in my life."

"Heh, I'm not looking for a dating service, I'm just looking for some cold hard cash so I can repair my bike," Akira replied.

"Well I've got a new skateboard I've had my eye on, plus some gifts for my lady, so may the best fighter win," Yun replied with a bow.

"You're on!" the biker woman replied.

Yun charged towards his opponent attempting a palm thrust, but she was quick to block the attack and answered with a sweeping kick that he would leap over. He was quick to follow with a combo of fast paced kicks to keep his opponent at a safe distance before she attempted the first special attack of the contest.

"GAIRIMON," she cried as she launched herself elbow first towards her opponent, but he was prepared for her.

Executing a move he called the 'Zenpou Tenshin,' Yun grabbed Akira by her shoulders and gracefully flipped over her.

"Too slow!" he taunted before going for another special attack.

"ZESSHOU HOHOU," the Kenpo fighter called out as he lunged towards the biker girl with his fist extended.

Akira leapt over the attack and landed behind him, catching him in the upper back with a roundhouse kick before he could recover.

"You were saying," she taunted before attempting a straight punch, which Yun would parry and then ducked low to execute a sweeping kick that would finally take the woman from her feet. He then brought his foot up and tried to bring it down on her face, but she rolled out of the way.

Kipping back to her feet Akira attempted another special attack.

"SENSHUUBU," she shouted as she performed a three hit spinning kick, her first two blows Yun had managed to avoid, but the final smacking him across the cheek and sending him spiraling to the ground.

Yun grunted in pain and rolled himself back to his feet, wiping the blood away from a fresh scrape on his cheek. "Heh, you're not a pushover compared to everybody else, but don't get too confident lady!"

The cocky fighter faked a twin palm strike that made Akira block high, leaving her open for another strike to her legs before he grabbed her and flipped her over him with a double leg toss.

"Your own cockiness is going to be your downfall, pal!" Akira spat as she forced herself back to her feet and performed a forward flip into the air.

"FUUGEKISHUU," she announced as she attempted a knockdown kick.

Yun had proven to be the faster of the two and knocked her out of the air with a flying crescent kick before sending her flying backward with a twin palm strike he called the 'Kobokushi.'

"I might be all talk to you, but unlike everybody else, I still get the job done in the end," Yun smirked.

Akira Kazama would not go down without a fight and once again pushed herself back to her feet.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Utilizing his great size to his advantage, Sagat easily moved his way through the crowd until he reached the front row, much to the annoyance of the smaller spectators who surrounded him.

At the moment there was a bout taking place between two fighters who looked like they still belonged in high school, one a boy wearing a white vest and blue and gold baseball cap, and the other a girl who was dressed like a biker. Indeed they appeared to show impressive skill for people of their age, but it wasn't them he was interested in.

_"He should be around here somewhere. Knowing him, he's never one to miss out on an opportunity for a good fight," _Sagat thought to himself as he used his great height to scan the crowd in search of the man he had come for.

_"You're around here somewhere Ryu, I know it," _the Thai fighter told himself just as the crowd went crazy and distracted him from his thoughts.

In the ring the young boy was performing a super combo he called the 'Sourai Rengeki,' in which he struck his opponent with a combo consisting of two elbow strikes, two lunging palm strikes and then a high kick to knock her airborne before finishing her off with some spinning roundhouse kicks. When all was said and done, the young woman did not return to her feet.

It was an impressive showing of athleticism and the spectators cheered wildly as the youthful fighter posed for them. He would suddenly stop as he looked towards Sagat's direction.

"Hey! I know you! Yeah you, the big tall bald guy with one eye! You're Sagat!" he called out and many of the spectators looked to the giant's direction.

The giant fighter grunted in irritation. He did not wish to fight anybody tonight, only to simply find Ryu and hopefully unlock the mystery behind what that witch doctor had told him about how his life 'was destined to change forever.'

"Yeah, I know who you are! You're pretty legendary from what we hear around these parts," the teenager continued, "How about you show us if you're still as good as they said you were years ago."

"I have better things to worry about than your trivial banter, boy!" Sagat spat in reply, "Now why don't you just take your prize money and get the hell out of here!"

"And since when was the almighty 'Emperor of Muay Thai' ever one to back down from a challenge?" Yun taunted.

By now Sagat was finding it hard to control his anger, but yet his pride as a warrior would not allow him to back down from a challenge. Around him the spectators were imploring him to accept the young man's challenge, knowing of the entertainment it could provide them.

"Your words will be the end of you if you do not know how to properly control them," Sagat spat.

"Oh yeah, well I still have plenty in the tank and could use another workout!" Yun replied. On the surface he seemed to have all the confidence in the world, but the Muay Thai expert looked him over thoroughly and could sense hesitation in the boy's words, almost as if he was finally beginning to realize that he had bitten off more than he could chew yet could not back down by this point.

"You want a fight little boy? Fine," Sagat spoke as he easily climbed over the barricade and made his way towards the ring, removing his hooded sweatshirt and track pants to reveal his purple and yellow kickboxing trunks underneath.

"Wait!" another voice called out from the crowd, one that Sagat instantly recognized and he darted his head around to pinpoint the source.

A familiar white-clad man leapt the barricade and made his way over to Yun, taking a protective stance in front of the boy.

"Ryu," Sagat spoke.

"Leave the boy alone Sagat. He is not yet ready for a challenge from a warrior of your caliber," the vagabond called out.

"What? What are you talking about Ryu? I could take him down in a heartbeat!" Yun protested from behind.

"He is too far out of your league Yun. He would eat you alive in a split second," Ryu spoke.

"Aw c'mon, I could take him if I have to!" the teen fighter groaned.

"Yun, please just do as I say and get out of here. This is between him and I," Ryu said returning his attention to the towering behemoth.

"Damn it!" the teen growled squeezing his hat in his hand.

"I'm glad I've found you Ryu. You and I have much to discuss," the former champion spoke.

Ryu stared awkwardly towards him, "Excuse me?"

"I'll have to tell you about it later," Sagat replied as he stared towards the cheering fans, who appeared to be aware of who both warriors were and were calling out for them to fight.

Ryu looked around at all the fans surrounding them and then back to his longtime rival, "You really think now would be the time to give these people what they want?"

"Hmm, well I do believe we owe each other a clean rematch after what happened during our past confrontations," the towering Thai replied.

"Guess we have no other choice then," Ryu replied as he adjusted his gloves and tightened his headband, _"Been a while since I've had a meaningful fight. At least Sagat can deliver."_

"Well then we'd better stop standing around then," Sagat spoke as he began to circle the Japanese warrior in his fighting stance.

With a battle cry, the Thai fighter threw a hard punch directed at his opponent's face, which Ryu would cross his arms to block. Undeterred, Sagat threw a high roundhouse kick also directed at his face, but the vagabond would duck beneath the attack and try to counter with an uppercut, which his opponent raised a massive arm to block. The Muay Thai master attempted to follow up with a high knee strike, to which Ryu would attempt to counter with a high roundhouse, both of their moves colliding simultaneously and knocking both men backward.

"TIGER," Sagat shouted as he shot his arms forward and launched a crescent-shaped beam of energy.

"HADOKEN," Ryu replied as he fired off an energy blast of his own.

Both projectiles collided, creating a small explosion of energy. Ryu launched himself into the air with a flying kick, but Sagat would leap backward to avoid the attack and launched himself into the air.

"TIGER UPPERCUT," the Muay Thai master shouted as his fist connected with Ryu's chin and propelled him even further into the air.

The crowd was starting to go wild at the spectacle and Ryu clenched his eyes shut as he tried to block out the distractions around him and focus. With a labored grunt he shrugged the pain off and forced himself back to his feet, finding himself forced to block as Sagat threw a hard right-handed hook in his direction and attempted to follow up with a body blow.

Ryu replied with a body blow of his own that caught the larger man in his stomach before he went for a move his opponent was all too familiar with.

"SHORYUKEN!" he shouted as he launched himself skyward with his fist extended, taking the big man off his feet. It wasn't too long before he forced himself back to his feet.

"Not much different from nine years ago," Sagat spat as he wiped some fresh blood away from the corner of his mouth and ducked low to fire another 'Tiger Shot,' which Ryu would leap over before he attempted his next special move.

"TIGER CRUSH," the Muay Thai Emperor shouted as he launched himself toward his opponent with a flying knee that caught Ryu in the stomach.

The Ansatsuken master was left coughing on the ground before rolling back to his hands and knees, "He's right…not much different…" he muttered to himself, remembering the one-eyed man's amazing strength.

Out of desperation he leapt into the air for his next special move, "TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!" he cried as he spun around with his leg extended, pelting Sagat with a barrage of blows to his face. With the big man staggering he fired another 'Hadoken' into his stomach and dropped him to a knee.

Ryu was now in control and attempted to follow up with a whirlwind kick, but Sagat would raise his hand to swat the attack away before he caught him with a collarbone splitter that forced him to cry out in pain.

"Just like old times, huh?" Ryu asked as he attempted an axe kick, having his foot caught in midair by the fallen former champ.

"Indeed," Sagat replied before tossing him away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I can feel him. He is nearby," Akuma spoke as he stood in the darkened alleyway, "Yes boy, your day of reckoning is afoot."

The coppery tinge of blood wafted through the already rancid air and he turned to find his apprentice standing behind him, surrounded by the broken bodies of several thugs that had attempted to attack them.

"Impressive child, your techniques improve with every kill you make," he spoke as he callously kicked aside the head of a tall bald man, "It will only be a matter of time before you are ready to learn the Shun Goku Satsu."

A stifled grunt was the only reply and the impatient student stomped down on the head of another thug hard enough to reduce the deceased man's brain to mush.

"I've let you have your fun, now let's be on our way," the dark warrior spoke as he and his trainee made their way towards the tournament.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chun-Li grunted in frustration as she attempted to navigate her way through the raucous crowd.

Acting on a tip from Yang, the Interpol agent made her way to yet another underground fighting tournament where she was told Yun had managed to sneak off to and Ryu had volunteered to follow after him.

_"Where else can you find Ryu of all people?" _she asked herself as she continued pushing her way through, the grunts and battle cries coming from the ring becoming more distinct as she got closer.

"Just a little further," the detective grunted forcing her way past a morbidly obese man and was blinded by the rays of a spotlight focused on the fighting ring. Bringing a hand up to shield her eyes she kept feeling around with her free hand until she felt the barricade before her, accidentally stomping on someone else's foot.

"Ow! Hey watch it!" a youthful voice called out next to her and she looked over to find a young man in white turning to face her, only to stop when he recognized her face, "Chun-Li? What are you doing here?"

She finally noticed the blue and gold baseball cap, it was Yun.

"I could ask you the exact same thing," the detective replied, placing a hand on her hip and shooting him a sharp glare.

"I was…" the normally cocky teen suddenly stopped himself as he struggled to find the right words, looking down to the floor and scratching the back of his neck.

During the tense standoff a voice called out from the ring that caught both of their attention.

"HADOKEN!"

"Hey, it looks like Ryu's staying alive out there!" Yun shouted shifting his focus towards the ring, hoping it would distract Chun-Li.

Indeed it did as she turned her attention towards the back and forth battle taking place, where Ryu was beginning to mount a comeback, firing fireball after fireball towards his towering opponent.

Sagat managed to leap over one of the attacks, but used his muscular arms and legs to block the other projectiles launched in his direction. It was obvious he was up against an opponent whom he had studied closely and the crowd was going wild at their impressive display.

Neither warrior showed signs of giving up and Sagat was already mounting a comeback with a super attack.

"TIGER CANNON," he roared shooting his arms outward and launching a barrage of energy towards his longtime rival.

Ryu barely had any time to react and only managed to raise his arms at the last second, the projectile's concussive force nearly knocking him across the enclosed area.

"Oh boy, I think he's gonna break out the big cannon now!" Yun whooped in excitement.

Chun-Li watched as the Ansatsuken warrior's hands became surrounded by blue flames and he went into a stance for one of his super moves. The crowd went into frenzy at the expected move and anybody who had brought their camera along readied it for the coming move.

The detective's eyes were locked on the battle before her when a handful of pebbles rained down upon her.

Looking towards the ceiling her eyes widened as she noticed cracks forming in the ceiling and some nearby support beams beginning to loosen.

Initially she had not been able to hear the growing rumble beneath her due to the raucous crowd around her, only feel the vibration in her feet.

A loud crack drew her attention back to the ceiling and she gasped in horror as one of the support beams finally snapped to pieces.

"Everybody look out!" she hollered and began pushing people out of the way.

Yun had been one of the people she shoved and was about to give her an angry reply when he too noticed the falling beam and quickly leapt out of the way.

"SHINKUU-" Ryu called out as he prepared to launch his attack, only to be halted as the ground suddenly buckled beneath him and he was brought to his knees.

The entire building was beginning to quake violently and the fight was brought to a halt.

"What the hell is causing this?" Chun-Li asked aloud to nobody in particular.

A booming laugh echoed throughout the small building and the detective's eyes were diverted towards the back of the room.

"No…it can't be…"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryu and Sagat had found their rematch brought to a grinding halt as the room quaked around them.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sagat demanded, unhappy over the sudden interruption.

The Ansatsuken warrior did not reply, still on his knees after the ground suddenly buckled beneath him and trying to shield his head from any falling debris. Before he could finally think of a reply for the sudden tremors he was overcome by a feeling of dread.

_"Oh no…oh god no…" _he thought to himself as he sensed a familiar aura nearby, one of darkness, destruction, anger, hated…pure unadulterated evil.

A booming laugh echoed throughout the small building, above the din of fleeing spectators.

"What is he doing here?" Ryu whispered as larger pieces of concrete rained down around him. The familiar laugh was all he could think about.

Sagat had been moving around to dodge the falling pieces of concrete and wood when he was distracted by the menacing laugh and diverted his lone eye towards the back of the building.

"What savagery is this?" he demanded.

By now all of the audience members had evacuated the building and both warriors were able to make out a silhouette outlined by a fiery aura.

"Now that those pitiful insects are out of the way we can get reacquainted Ryu," the figure spoke as it stepped out of the darkened corner and into the light.

"It has been far too long old friend," Akuma chuckled, saying his last two words in a condescending manner that made his target's blood boil.

"I am no friend of yours you murderer!" Ryu snapped, "What the hell do you want with me?"

Akuma's toothy grin disappeared and he stared hard at his nemesis, "I am deeply disappointed in you Ryu. For far too long you rejected your true potential and look at what happened to you, allowing yourself to remain bound to such trivial attachments has rendered you weak and powerless.

"I have decided I am through wasting my time with you pitiful child. You are no longer worthy of existence and now I will make you suffer for all eternity!" the demon declared as he teleported to the ring and stood between the two already exhausted warriors.

"I should have known you would be cowardly enough to attack somebody who has already been through a battle," Ryu spoke as he went into his fighting stance.

"Heh, I will not allow such factors to come between me and my revenge," Akuma replied as he went into his own fighting stance.

"TIGER SHOT!"

The demonic fighter found himself teleporting again to avoid a projectile being fired from behind. As soon as he stopped, he brought his gloved fist up to block a large foot being thrown in his direction.

"Don't think you're going to get to him without going through me first," Sagat roared as he attempted to drive his massive fist into the dark warrior's face, who again managed to block the attempted strike. He then tried to follow up with a roundhouse kick that was ducked under; only to find himself leaping backward as Akuma attempted to sweep him from his feet. The Muay Thai master then closed the gap with another special move.

"TIGER CRUSH," he called out as he attempted his flying knee attack, which Akuma would warp backwards to avoid.

Seeing the dark warrior coming towards him, Ryu then leapt into the air to attempt his own special attack.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!" he roared as he spun around with his leg extended.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if his adversary could read his mind and managed to block every attack before executing his own special attack.

"GOU SHORYUKEN," Akuma called out as he pulled off his own take on the famed Dragon Punch, striking the younger man on the chin and launching him high into the air.

Ryu hit the ground with a hard thud and his challenger landed gracefully next to him.

"This is only the beginning in your lesson of pain weakling!" Akuma shouted as he was about to go for another attack, but his superior senses enabled him to detect another attack from behind.

At the last second the dark master managed to roll beneath a flying kick aimed at the back of his head, feeling the wind ruffle his hair as Sagat soared past him from above. Before the Muay Thai fighter's feet could touch the ground, Akuma leapt into the air for his next special attack.

"ZANKUU HADOKEN," he cried out as he shot a light purple projectile from his palm that caught Sagat in the upper back, bringing him down to his knees.

"Hmph, you are nothing but a fallen emperor trying to relive your lost glory days, but in the end you too shall pay for your interference," Akuma growled as he executed a flying kick on the struggling Thai fighter and began to assail him with a flurry of punches and kicks that quickly left the man bleeding from several gashes all over his upper torso, "Now you have some extra scars to take with you as souvenirs to Hell!"

"GEN'EI JIN!" a voice called out from behind Akuma, but before the white blur could strike him he spun around with his fist extended, catching Yun in his sternum and literally flipping him into the air.

"KIKOKEN," a woman's voice called out and a glowing blue projectile struck the dark warrior in the back, knocking him forward a few steps.

Akuma caught himself before he could stumble to his knees and turned to find a young woman flying towards him with her foot extended. Crossing his arms in front of him he blocked the attempted blow and then warped to her left to avoid a following double palm strike.

"Meddlesome harlot, your impudence shall cost you greatly in the end," the demon spat as the woman charged toward him.

"SPINNING BIRD KICK," Chun-Li called out as she flipped upside down into the air and began spinning around with her legs extended.

Akuma leapt over the attack and quickly dropped the young woman with a whirlwind kick, dropping her hard on her upper back. Smiling at his work he raised a fist and was about to strike her in the neck when he was again surprised from behind.

"SHINKUU HADOKEN!" Ryu called out as he finally managed to fire his powered up fireball into the distracted fighter and sent him flying forward. Akuma wouldn't even have the chance to hit the ground as he was again assailed.

"TIGER RAID," Sagat called out as he launched himself towards the flying demon with his foot ablaze. Despite the currents of blood cascading down his body he was still determined to fight with everything he had.

"I'm not dead yet you bastard!" the Muay Thai Emperor shouted before spitting some blood from his split lower lip and resuming his fighting stance.

Before Akuma could respond he was again struck from behind.

"YOU HOU," Yun's voice called out from behind and he descended upon the demonic master with a flurry of fast paced punches before launching his opponent into the air.

"My turn," the teen choked out before collapsing to a knee in a coughing fit, rubbing his still sore sternum.

The dark Ansatsuken master kipped back up to his feet and a fiery aura burned around his body, an indicator of the intense anger he was feeling at the moment.

"You and your meddling friends cannot stop me Ryu! I will have my revenge and then I will hunt down that bastard brother of mine and finish him once and for all as well!" the demon roared.

"Gouken is alive?" Ryu asked as he remained on guard, feeling hopeful and fearful at the same time, the latter being for his master's safety in case his brother found him first.

Akuma nodded in disgust, "Yes he is, but he won't be for much longer, not after you lie broken at my feet!"

"Well I'm not going to go down alone. I have my friends here to back me up and you'll have to go through all of them as well," Ryu motioned to the fighters next to him.

Sagat was caught off guard by his longtime rival's assertion.

_"He called me a 'friend' of his?" _he asked himself in disbelief, _"How can he think of me as such after all that has gone down between us? Can it be that easy to forgive and forget?"_

Akuma scoffed at the statement, "Then you will not die alone."

The dark master warped towards his adversary and threw a flurry of punches and kicks in the man's direction, all of which were blocked, dodged or parried before Ryu found and opening and caught him with his high thrust kick to the possessed man's chest and followed up with a whirlwind kick before going for his Dragon Punch.

"SHORYUKEN," the vagabond called out as he launched his adversary into the air, who was then clobbered by the combined force of a Kikoken and Tiger Shot fired simultaneously and knocked him even higher.

It seemed as if the four warriors were beginning to get the upper hand when another booming voice suddenly called out.

"SHAKUNETSU HADOKEN!"

A red orb of energy shot out and Chun-Li was struck head on, her body being set ablaze as she was sent flying through the air, extinguishing as soon as she connected with the rickety wooden barricade.

Yun's ears perked up at the ruckus, but before he could respond he found himself struck repeatedly in the face and knocked to the floor.

Sagat sensed the new danger and turned to face another figure who moved about as if it were blending in with the shadows. Throughout all the movement, he was able to make out two glowing red eyes. He wasn't left with much time to think as the wraith-like figure charged towards him.

Bringing his already bloodied arm up he deflected a punch from a fist that was surprisingly small before he raised his knee to block a kick and then leapt over an attempted sweep. A somersault kick caught the Muay Thai master by surprise and he staggered backward holding his sore chin before being launched airborne.

"GOU SHORYUKEN!"

Ryu whirled around to find Sagat lying on his side and an unknown figure standing over him.

"Who the hell," he asked as the individual turned to face him and he remained in his fighting stance, not knowing what to expect. Akuma's booming laughter came from behind.

"I didn't come alone young one," the demonic warrior stated as he began to circle his opponent.

Ryu couldn't believe his eyes. The evil man had found a way to corrupt some other unfortunate soul and pass his powers onto them.

He couldn't tell who the person was due to their figure being obscured by darkness, which appeared to be a deliberate trick on their behalf. A pair of glowing red eyes squinted back at him and a mouthful full of glimmering fangs were bared to him. Flames manifested around the figure's balled fists and it was then the wandering warrior found himself nearly paralyzed by confusion.

_"How can it be? I've felt that aura before…years ago," _Ryu told himself as he noticed how the flames faintly illuminated their wielder's features and he squinted his eyes for any signs of familiarity.

"Now that you two have gotten acquainted, it is time to show this idealistic fool what you can do," Akuma spoke towards his shrouded apprentice.

_"Akuma, you have toyed with them long enough," _Gen's voice telepathically shouted to the demonic martial artist, _"Your fight should be with me, not them. Let us finish this once and for all!"_

_ "Stay out of this old man. You have no idea what has gone down between him and I. It is more than your feeble mind could ever process," _Akuma replied.

_"I see your arrogance has caused you to all but forget our former encounters. I am not the dying old man you think I am and I will certainly prove it to you all over again if I have to," _Gen stated.

Akuma growled in frustration. He finally had Ryu right where he wanted him and now he was being tempted by another longtime adversary of his whom he knew was on Death's doorstep and would no longer be able to put up the kind of fight he would have been capable of years earlier.

_"What is it going to be demon? Are you going to waste your time with a boy who is still not ready for your challenge or do you want to put this matter between you and I to rest once and for all?" _Gen asked.

With another grunted the possessed fighter raised a hand to halt his apprentice, "Our time here is over."

Both Ryu and the shrouded figure looked towards Akuma in confusion before he motioned towards his apprentice, "Come, we have business elsewhere to attend to."

"Oh no you don't," Ryu spat and launched himself towards his enemy with his foot extended, "I'm not letting you escape me again."

Akuma warped out of the way to avoid his opponent's foot and then charged up his chi to fire another powered up blast towards him.

"MESSATSU GOU HADOU," he cried out firing a reddish blast towards Ryu, who barely managed to leap out of the way just in time, only to be thrown forward as the projectile connected with the ground and created a massive explosion.

"Now come, let us deal with that old fool," Akuma spoke to his student as the two of them teleported away.

"Damn it!" Chun-Li hollered as she rushed over to where the two villains once stood, kneeling down to examine the scorch marks they had left behind.

Ryu had an idea of who they were going after and sprung into action, "There's no time for that Chun-Li. We've gotta get over to Master Gen. No doubt they're going after him next."

Both Chun-Li and Yun looked to each other in horror before rushing after Ryu as he made his exit. Sagat would soon follow after them, despite being covered in blood from the numerous gashes inflicted upon him by Akuma.

"We can take my car," the detective gasped as the four of them ran full speed out of the warehouse.

"So what the hell was up with that other freak?" Yun asked from the back of the ground, still clutching his sore chest as he struggled to keep up.

"I don't know to tell you the truth, but there was something oddly familiar…about that woman…" was all Ryu offered as they reached the streets.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Genhaten Restaurant_

"ZANKUU HADOKEN," the woman called out as she fired a projectile while airborne, leaving Yang little room to leap around it just before it hit the ground and splintered the wood where he once stood.

Yang skidded to a halt and collapsed to a knee, out of breath after barely dodging a series of blows thrown in his direction. A cut had already formed across his cheek after taking a knife-handed blow with a strength that surprised him given the size of his challenger.

_"Who the hell is this woman?" _he asked as he carefully observed her movements, _"She has a power unlike anything I've ever experienced before, but how?"_

The woman before him appeared to be in her late twenties with shoulder-length brunette hair and a petite figure barely covered by yellow karate gi with the pant legs rolled up. Strangely enough, she also wore a red headband that was very familiar to him.

Her eyes were glowing an unearthly shade of red and her skin was of an equally bizarre shade of bronze. Whatever the case was, the teen asked himself if she was Akuma's daughter or something else closely related to him.

There was no time to sit back and ponder as the woman shot her gloved fists outward, firing another glowing purple orb in his direction that Yang was barely able to dodge.

"You're asking for it now," the teen muttered to himself as he rolled towards the woman.

"SENKYUUTAI," he called out as he launched himself upward with his foot extended, only to strike thin air as the woman teleported to his side.

"GOU SHORYUKEN," she called out as she now propelled herself upward with her fist extended and caught the young Kempo expert with a fist to the cheek that sent him landing hard on the wooden floor.

Pain coursed throughout his body, but Yang wasn't out of the fight just yet as he forced himself back to his feet, knowing he couldn't let such a demonic adversary emerge victorious.

"TOUROU ZAN," the teen shouted as he dashed towards the woman, slashing his arms about wildly in front of him. Most of his blows were completely dodged, but the last strike was stopped by the woman's wrist guard and she again knocked him to the floor with a spinning roundhouse kick.

Nearby Master Gen wasn't faring much better as he was engaged in a life or death duel with the 'Master of the Fist' himself.

"HYAKURENKO," the elderly man called out as he delivered a series of rapid fire knife-like strikes towards his opponent directed at various points over the man's body.

Unlike most of the assassin's opponents, Akuma was able to see every blow coming from a mile away and managed to block every strike thrown at him.

"In your weakened condition you are a fool to challenge me, old one!" the demonic fighter chuckled as he delivered a back fist that made his opponent spin before knocking him to the floor with a roundabout kick.

With his opponent grounded, Akuma leapt into the air and then shot himself downward with his foot extended, only to find himself on the receiving end of another special attack.

"GEKIROU," Gen shouted as he performed a vertical kick that struck the demonic fighter multiple times in the chest and stomach.

"I may be near death, but don't think I haven't forgotten everything I know," the elderly assassin grunted as he rubbed his sore face.

Akuma kipped back to his feet and shrugged off any painful sensations he may have felt. "You always were a stubborn one, always doing whatever you can to delay the inevitable. That will only make your death much sweeter when I finally send you to it!"

"Arrogance has always been your downfall Gouki," Gen retorted, addressing his opponent by his real name, "Always lacking the patience Goutetsu attempted to teach you and you repaid him by sacrificing your humanity. Your kind will always fall in the end."

"Outdated lectures will do nothing to save you from fate," Akuma shrugged before thrusting his foot towards his opponent, who brought his fists up to parry the blow before switching over to his alternate style and executing his 'Jasen' attack, striking the demon in the chest and temporarily stunning him as Gen followed up with an upward roundhouse punch. He attempted to follow up with another blow, but was cut off as his challenger recovered.

Akuma parried the blow and delivered a hard punch to the old man's gut before grabbing him and falling backward, executing a sacrifice throw that sent the purple-clad man flying into a statue near one of the room's support beams.

"Now to finish this," the possessed warrior whispered to himself as he waited for the weakened assassin to rise back to his feet and then leapt high into the air, launching a burning red projectile towards him.

"TENMA GOU ZANKU," Akuma cried as his projectile soared through the air, striking Gen in the center of his chest and sending the old man flying through a nearby wall.

The sounds of battle raged behind him and the dark master turned to find his student engaged in battle with Gen's red-clad student, 'Yang' he answered to. At the moment the young boy was on the receiving end of a severe beating. Akuma could only beam with pride as the young woman pummeled the youth.

_"She has come so far in such a short amount of time, much farther than her weakling father could ever take her," _he thought to himself as the woman sent Yang flying into a shelf full of antique pottery after launching another fireball into his chest.

She could sense the boy was near death and turned to face her master as if seeking his approval.

For some time she had been wanting to perform the Shun Goku Satsu or 'Instant Hell Murder,' also known as the 'Raging Demon,' but he hadn't allowed her due to not being ready.

Now he could sense she had grown as a warrior and would not fall to the dangers faced by those who had performed it before. Killing this particular boy would be the final test of her training.

With a silent nod Akuma offered his approval.

Turning to face her fallen challenger she began to channel the dark murderous chi, anxious to send her first victim to Hell.

"SHUN…GOKU…"

"SHINKUU-HADOKEN!"

"TIGER CANNON!"

Before the woman could execute the attack she was struck from behind by two powered up projectiles, which created an explosion as they collided with their target simultaneously and sent the young woman flying through the air, skidding to a halt at the feet of her master.

Akuma perked his head up to find Ryu standing in the building's entrance flanked by the three other warriors from the warehouse.

"End of the road Akuma!" Ryu called out as Yun and Chun-Li both ran over to tend to the battered Yang.

The demonic warrior scoffed at the assertion, "You speak too soon child. It is only beginning."

Finding himself puzzled by Akuma's words he watched as his student pushed herself back to her feet, no longer obscured by the self-created shadows that had surrounded her before. It was then his mouth fell open in shock.

"Chiharu?"

The young woman laughed, "Chiharu is dead. I am Surota!"

Sagat, Chun-Li and Yun all looked on in confusion as their gazes darted back and forth between the two Ansatsuken warriors.

"You know this woman?" Sagat demanded.

"Chiharu…my sensei's daughter…" Ryu trailed, "…I thought she was dead."

Akuma then spoke up again, "But she is not. I found her lying near the riverbed after she witnessed the battle between myself and her worthless father. She was near death, but I nursed her back to health and have been training her all these years. I have crafted her into the warrior Gouken never could and with it, I have given her a purpose…to crush you once and for all!"

"I don't believe it!" Ryu gasped, "How could you do this to her? She never did anything to you!"

He then turned his attention to the young woman, "Chiharu, listen to me! You are possessed by a dark entity. You have to fight it before it can consume your soul!"

Again the young woman laughed, "Akuma has opened my eyes. He has shown me the power of a true warrior…one without limitations…one without fear…one without remorse!"

"And one robbed of their humanity," Ryu spat towards the evil master.

"KOUGA!"

To everyone's surprise Gen had somehow managed to get back to his feet and had managed to deliver a flying kick that had caught Akuma in his upper back, but before he could continue the assault Surota would spring into action.

"TATSUMAKI ZANKUU KYAKU!" she called out as she leapt into the air and delivered a multi-hitting hurricane kick that struck the elderly master several times.

Chun-Li left her position at Yang's side and leapt towards one of the support beams, performing a triangle jump and managing to land behind the possessed woman before executing a super attack of her own.

"KIKO-SHOU!" she shouted as she launched a large orb of glowing blue energy that managed to strike Surota repeatedly, long enough to stun her.

"Quick, get Master Gen out of here!" she shouted to Yun and Yang.

"But you'll need our help with that psycho!" Yun protested.

"Just get him out of here. He's hurt!" the detective ordered.

With a reluctant nod Yun motioned for Yang to follow him and they both scooped up their aging master beneath his arms and began dragging him towards the nearest exit.

"Now we weed out the crap!" Surota chuckled before charging head on at Chun-Li.

Ryu and Sagat meanwhile were both engaging Akuma, trading blows back and forth with the possessed fighter, who had managed to handle himself well against both men.

"You are both fools to think you can destroy the power which I possess," Akuma spat as he attempted a whirlwind kick on Ryu, who had blocked the move and attempted to follow up with a collarbone splitter, which Akuma had managed to parry before he was forced to use his free hand to block a kick thrown in his direction by Sagat.

"Sounds like something Bison would say," the Muay Thai master grunted before throwing his elbow at his opponent's head, again finding his maneuver blocked.

"That fool is nothing," Akuma grunted, "I destroyed him once and I can destroy him again!" he declared before launching another fireball towards Sagat, who had blocked the attack, but found himself knocked backward a few steps.

"HADOKEN!"

Able to sense the attack coming from behind Akuma whirled around and fired another fireball, which had managed to cancel out Ryu's projectile before the vagabond launched himself in his direction.

"I will not allow your evil to triumph, monster!"

Chun-Li on the other hand was struggling against Surota, having already taken several powerful blows from the petite woman and had barely managed to dodge a projectile fired in her direction, which sailed past her head and destroyed a large fish tank holding several exotic fish.

"SOU HAKKEI," the detective cried as she attempted a double palm strike at her opponent, who managed to block the attack and attempted a high roundhouse kick, which Chun-Li would duck under and then steady herself on the ground with one palm as she kicked her left leg out, striking Surota in her kneecap. With her opponent stunned she went for another special move.

"SEN'EN SHUU," she announced as she flipped forward and brought her heel down, striking Surota on top of her head before launching herself into the air with another attack.

"TENSHOU-KYAKU," she cried as she managed to score several kicks to her opponent's stomach and sent her falling through a nearby table.

With a grunt Surota forced herself back into a sitting position, "Now you suffer!"

The possessed woman warped towards her opponent and delivered a hard uppercut to her chin and then a thrust kick to her stomach before grabbing her and driving her knee repeatedly into the detective's face and then vaulting over to strangle her from behind.

It was a hopeless struggle for Chun-Li as she felt like she was being ensnared by an anaconda. Her arms were limp and everything was getting dark. It would only be a matter of time before her neck was snapped.

A battle cry sounded from behind and Surota turned her head just in time to have Ryu plant his foot in her face, forcing her to relinquish her grip upon the Chinese detective.

"Chiharu, listen to me! You have to fight Akuma's control! Remember who you are! He is not your master," Ryu pleaded, "Please; I don't want to hurt you!"

"This is what you wanted Surota. Now is your time!" Akuma called out as he dodged a high kick from Sagat.

"No, don't listen to him!" Ryu shouted raising his hands defensively, "He's deceiving you!"

Surota ignored the vagabond's pleas and warped towards him, throwing a punch directed at his face, which he blocked, followed by a flurry of punches he blocked, dodged or parried. The back and forth struggle continued until Ryu finally managed to grab her arm and pin it behind her.

"Listen to me. This isn't who you really are. Fight it," he pleaded.

Again the warrior's plea fell on deaf ears as the possessed woman's skin suddenly began to glow and he yelped aloud in pain as his hands were burnt. Freed from her opponent's grasp, Surota delivered a 'Cyclone Air Cutting Kick' to score repeated blows on his face and sent him flying onto another table.

Sagat meanwhile had finally managed to find an opening on Akuma after throwing a fierce punch to his cheek and grabbed him to drive his knee repeatedly into the possessed warrior's face before tossing him over his shoulder and into a display fountain at the center of the room, shattering it upon impact. Knowing the kind of power his opponent possessed, the Muay Thai master kept on him attacking him even as he was down.

Roaring with the fury of a tiger Sagat pounded away at the dark warrior's face, wanting to get revenge upon him for making him bleed the way he did. Blow after blow he inflicted upon Akuma's face, continuing until the demon finally managed to grip onto his wrapped hand and flip him over.

"Still not good enough fallen warrior," the demon grunted as he kipped back up to his feet and looked over to see Surota still engaged in battle with his nemesis Ryu, the latter doing what he could to dodge or block his student's moves while pleading incessantly with her.

From behind them he could see Chun-Li rising to her feet and preparing to fire another projectile.

"Surota, come at once!" Akuma ordered.

The young woman turned to him and gave a look of disbelief, barely able to dodge the combined attacks of Ryu and Chun-Li.

"We've fooled around with these imbeciles long enough," the dark master shouted to his student before turning to face Ryu, "You got lucky this time child. We will meet again!"

A burning purple aura surrounded the dark Ansatsuken warrior's fist and Ryu's eyes widened in shock, remembering what had happened on Akuma's island seven years earlier.

"We have to get out of here!" he shouted to Sagat as he grabbed onto Chun-Li and began dragging her towards the nearest exit.

Akuma drove his fist into the restaurant's floor and with a deafening boom, all of the windows and glass fixtures shattered and the building began to rock from its foundation.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A loud explosion came from within the Genhaten restaurant, followed by a massive shockwave that began to rock the building from its foundation, as well as shattering the windows and lighting fixtures of surrounding buildings.

Gen, Yun and Yang, now joined by Houmei, Shaomei and several frightened onlookers, could only watch in horror as the building collapsed.

"Do you think they're…" Yun gasped, not wanting to utter the last word, while Yang's heavy breathing indicated his apprehension.

"No," Gen replied, his eyes narrowing.

From within the ruins two shrouded figures appeared and the trio breathed a collective sigh of relief to see it was Ryu and Chun-Li.

"You're alright!" Yun cried out in joy.

"What about that other guy?" Yang asked.

A couple fallen support beams began shifting and with a loud 'oomph' Sagat punched his way to freedom.

"I'm…still alive…" he grunted as he fell to his knees and began crawling over the jagged debris towards the others.

Chun-Li looked around at the aftermath of a brutal battle, unable to believe one man could cause such destruction. Whoever this man was, he made Bison look weak in comparison.

"This…man…do you think he's gonna come back for you?" she nervously asked.

"Nothing like this could ever kill Akuma. He will be back," Ryu replied as he stared sharply towards the ruins.

His mind was more preoccupied with Chiharu.

Having grown up around her he always remembered how he and Ken would jokingly call her 'Ojou-san,' or 'Lil' Miss,' a nickname she had hated.

_"Poor Chiharu, always so sweet and innocent, like the sister I never had," _Ryu thought to himself, _"Damn it how could you have become caught up with Akuma of all people."_

He remembered hearing rumors of how she was the only person to have witnessed what was believed to be the final fight between her father and her accursed uncle. Up until now, nobody had known what had become of her, believing her to be dead just as they had her father.

Now here she was alive and well, but not herself. It wasn't the joyous reunion he had hoped for.

_"Master Gouken, I will find you again and I swear I will liberate your daughter from Akuma's clutches. Mark my words Chiharu, I will free you from his influence."_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes: And so an EPIC chapter that took me forever to chug along with is finally completed and now I can bring you my obligatory post-chapter rambling!

When I describe the alley that Sagat is traveling down to find where the underground tournament is being held, I'm trying to convey images similar to the alley that served as Gen's background in SFA2. I always liked its gritty simplicity, although wasn't as cool as Guy's cameo-heavy stage. As much of a fan as I am of him, I always thought it was funny to watch Cody get slapped by Jessica whenever a female fighter walked past him.

I'm not sure how many viewers are familiar with "Rival Schools" by this point, but I've taken the liberty to translate the moves Akira used and will let you visualize the attacks for yourself.

Akira's moves translated (thanks to the Capcom Database Wikia)

Gairimon – Elbow Gate

Senshuubu – Cyclone Dance

Fuugekishuu – Leaping Smash

I was thinking about having Yun fight Makoto, but I personally thought it would be cooler to have him fight Akira instead.

On a side note, I was getting some serious shits and giggles going on Google Translator and learning some new swear words in foreign languages. If you have nothing else better to do then I seriously recommend it!

Getting back to business, Chiharu a.k.a. Surota a.k.a. Ojou-san is NOT an original creation of mine. The only things original about her are her real name "Chiharu," which I've given to her, and her taken name "Surota," which means "slaughter" in Japanese and her using Akuma's moves, as well as being his disciple.

Ojou-san, which I've stated above means "Little Miss," is the daughter of Gouken, making her Akuma's niece. She is an actual character according to Capcom canon and also according to canon; she is the only person who witnessed what was believed to be the final encounter between Gouken and Akuma.

I have seen actual artwork of her and can forward anybody who requests the link. Think of her as being a dead ringer for Yuri Sakazaki from the SNK Art of Fighting/King of Fighters series with the same hairstyle as Kasumi Todoh (also from the same series) and wearing a yellow karate gi with the pant legs rolled up, a black tank top underneath similar to Dan's and a red headband similar to Ryu's.

How she never made her way into an actual Street Fighter game is beyond me, unless Capcom just got lazy on us again. Seriously, think of everything they could have done with her! Once again I take the incentive to capitalize upon where Capcom got lazy.

Well I believe that's all that I have to say for this story-related rant and I'm definitely hoping that 2011 can be a better year for me than the last one was. Until then, read and review!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	11. Deadly Shadows

The World Warriors' Legacy

By Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: Aside from saying that "I'm back" I don't really have much of an opening author's note to offer you my loyal readers so in some senses I apologize for lacking "the gift of gab" as I type this introductory note (seeing as how I typically type the author's notes AFTER I've typed out the chapter itself), but then again I have to remind myself there are those who just want to get down to business right away and so without further ado, here is my latest chapter for all of you!

Chapter 11: Deadly Shadows

_Pasadena, CA_

Desperation had been racing through William Guile's mind ever since he received that frantic phone call from his beloved wife and he struggled to keep his head on straight as he sped down the straightway and took a hard right, causing a pedestrian to leap backwards and nearly barreling into an oncoming convertible as his jeep nearly fishtailed.

He was so desperate to get to her he didn't care about anything else, not even if he ended up getting a ticket for his troubles.

"C'mon, c'mon damn it," he grunted as he gripped the steering wheel with white knuckle ferocity, hammering down on the horn as a pickup truck attempted to pull into traffic.

Racing past the aforementioned truck, he then blew through a red light and illegally passed a postal van before he took another left hand turn and the hospital finally came into view.

Seeing his destination in plain view, the Air Force Major gunned the accelerator and came to a screeching halt before the hospital entrance, scaring a few patients and staff members as he came barreling out and charged into the hospital.

He literally skidded to a halt and by now all eyes were on Guile as he looked around frantically for any signs of his wife.

"Jane!" he called out, "Jane Guile!" he repeated before grabbing a nearby doctor by the arm, "Where is Jane Guile? I need to see her immediately!" he demanded.

"Will!"

Whirling around on his heel Guile turned to find his beloved wife rushing towards him. Up until now he had never been so happy to see her, exhaling deeply in relief as she threw her arms around him.

"Jane, thank goodness you're alright!" he said as he held her close, fighting back tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"Oh my god Will, I was so scared," she sobbed, "I honestly thought we were going to die."

Guile let the words sink in for a few moments before finally replying, "I'm just glad to see you're alright," he said taking his head away to look around for another familiar face he was expecting. "Where's Amy?"

"She's over to my parents. The police took her there," Jane replied as she took her husband by the arm and led him over to an unoccupied bench.

"I just hope she's alright," the airman replied as he collapsed onto the bench and looked over to his wife.

He waited for the staff members and other patients to distance themselves before asking his next question, "Alright this Abel guy, where is he? I'm going to need to speak with him immediately."

"He's probably still in surgery as we speak," Jane replied clamping down on his hand, "That masked man inflicted some pretty serious injuries upon him. It could be hours, maybe even days before he comes to…"

Guile muttered a profanity to himself. He wanted to know what Abel was doing here and why now of all times.

"Well whatever's going on I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you or Amy. You can count on that," he spoke, again pulling his wife closer to him in a tight embrace.

"Hey Guile!" a youthful voice called out.

Hearing the voice the airman looked up to see a familiar young blond-haired man rushing towards him. Normally the sight of this particular man annoyed the hell out of him, but for now he knew this wasn't the time or place for such feelings.

"Ken? What are you doing here?" Jane replied as she rose to receive her brother-in-law, who at the moment was clad in a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, his red karate gi pants and some red and white sneakers.

"Eliza told me about what happened. I didn't know how bad things would be, but I figured I'd try to do whatever I could to help," the young fighter replied before looking over to Guile, who only nodded slightly in reply.

Despite being brothers-in-law, both men hadn't thought to highly of one another in the past, with Guile seeing the younger Ken as a spoiled rich playboy, while in turn Ken viewed the hardened combat veteran as 'just another meathead soldier.'

For now, they realized the importance of putting their past differences aside.

The sound of a throat clearing came from behind Ken and the trio turned to face a figure that had been standing in the background the entire time, another man around Ken's age with fiery red hair who was clad in a black hoodie, violet gi pants and blue and white high tops.

"Oh sorry, guys this is my friend Allen Snider, he was over when we got the news," Ken said gesturing to his friend.

"A pleasure to meet the both of you," Allen said as he extended his hand to Guile and Jane.

"Well you're right whatever is going on we're going to need all the help we can get. Why Abel decided to suddenly show up out of the blue like this is beyond me," Guile replied looking down to his fists before clenching them tightly, "And I personally want to question him once he wakes up."

"I don't know how much we're going to get out of him anyway. He doesn't even know much about his own past to begin with," Ken added looking back to Allen.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Guile snorted, "but still there's gotta be something we can get out of him. He might have amnesia, but he's certainly not stupid."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's time for your medicine Mr. Holger," the nurse purred as she withdrew the syringe from her pocket and made her way over to the hospital bed where he rested.

The man, known to her true employers as 'Doctrine Dark,' was left unconscious after taking a massive beating from another target of theirs, left with several broken bones and numerous internal injuries that he wouldn't be likely to awaken from any time soon.

_"And he'll never reawaken ever again," _she thought to herself as she pricked the needle into the man's neck.

Nothing happened at first, but after time the man began to convulse violently and his numerous restraints were nearly torn away by his flailing limbs. The beeps of numerous life support machines called out in unison as the assassin's body shook, but in the end there was only one long continuous beep as the man fell backwards never to rise again, his blue eyes left wide open, but forever unseeing.

"Sleep tight my dear," the woman giggled innocently as her left eye glowed an inhuman purple hue.

"One down," she whispered to herself as she made her way back into the hall, passing the corpses of the two security guards who had been assigned to watch over Mr. Holger. It wasn't too long before she would also pass the body of the woman whose nursing scrubs she had stolen, taken down by a swift kick to the back of her neck.

It wasn't long before the woman had reached the elevator and then made her way down to the sixth floor, where the recovery center was located.

Stepping off the elevator, she was able to casually walk past doctors, nurses and other staff members without arousing suspicion until she found where she needed to be.

"Well, well, well, long time no see Mr. Abel," the woman giggled as she walked into the room where her second target was located, lying in a bed with much of his exposed skin bandaged after his encounter with Doctrine Dark.

Reaching into her same pocket she pulled out another syringe filled with a purple liquid and approached the man's bed.

Before she could ready the needle a low moan escaped Abel's lips and he began to flutter his eyes open.

"Now, now don't strain yourself. This will only take a second," she spoke just as her needle was just about to pierce his flesh.

"I don't think that will be necessary!" an authoritative voice called out from behind.

"What the hell?" the faux nurse growled as she turned to face a crimson-haired woman in a black suit casually leaning against the doorframe.

"That disguise doesn't fool me for one second Juri. I know why you're here and I'm afraid I cannot allow you to succeed," Crimson Viper proclaimed as she entered her fighting stance.

Grunting in frustration, Juri removed the teal nurse's cap and surgical mask and entered her own fighting stance.

"Meddling bitch!" the South Korean woman roared as she charged towards her enemy with her foot extended.

Viper brought her fist up to block the woman's attack and responded with a back fist, which Juri would raise her foot to parry.

"You will not interfere with our plans," the Tae Kwon Do fighter spat as she attempted a roundhouse kick.

"Since when did you become so cozy with Bison?" Viper asked as she caught the woman's foot, "Last I heard, you hated his guts and wanted him dead."

Juri did not respond and attempted another roundhouse kick, which Viper would duck underneath and respond with an uppercut that caught the brainwashed woman on the chin.

"Why you!" she hissed after being struck and then went for a special move.

"FUHAJIN!" Juri announced as she kicked her leg straight up while surrounded by a purple aura, finally landing a decisive blow upon Crimson Viper and sending her flying into the hallway.

Many of the patients and staff members present screamed in terror at the ensuing confrontation.

"Stop right there!" a security guard called out and went to draw his pistol, only to be stopped by a purple projectile Juri launched with a roundhouse kick.

"Oh great," Viper muttered to herself as she rose back to her feet. _"I knew confronting Juri wouldn't be an easy task, but I've gotta stop her before any innocent bystanders can be caught in the crossfire."_

With Juri temporarily distracted by the guard, Viper launched a double kick that caught the evil woman in the chest and face before she followed up with her 'Thunder Knuckle' attack, in which she launched herself into the air with her left fist surrounded by electricity.

Juri was sent flying over the counter of the nearby nurse's station and landed hard on her back, still smarting from the electricity coursing throughout her body as she struggled back to her feet.

"I…will…not…be denied!" she declared as she waited for her opponent to charge her head on. Before Viper could connect with another roundhouse kick, Juri suddenly teleported through the attack before performing an overhead kick that knocked her opponent to the floor.

"This…is going…to be sweet," Juri huffed before continuing the assault.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A security alarm blared throughout the hospital and within seconds staff and patients alike were scattering for anywhere safe.

"What the hell's going on now?" Allen shouted over the din as he bobbed and weaved to avoid the people rushing towards him.

"Whatever it is, I don't think it's your typical fire drill," Ken replied as he threw himself against the wall to avoid another gaggle of occupants.

"Somebody must be attacking the place!" Guile called out before grabbing Jane and throwing themselves against the nearest wall to avoid a gurney being pushed towards them, which appeared to be carrying a woman in the middle of childbirth.

"Clear out immediately!" a security guard shouted as he pushed his way through with an elderly man in a wheelchair.

"Will c'mon, we need to get out of here fast!" Jane pleaded as she tugged hard on his arm.

"No, we've gotta find out what's going on!" Guile replied, "Get outside with the others. We'll handle it from here!"

"No!" she screamed, throwing her arms around him with tears in her eyes.

"Allen, get her out of here at once!" Guile said practically having to fight his wife off of him and shoving her over towards the Southern martial artist.

"SHADOW BOOM!"

Ken barely managed to duck the arc-shaped projectile just in time for it to sail through a nearby aquarium, shattering the glass to a million pieces upon contact and sending all of the fish tumbling onto the floor.

"What the hell?" Guile called out as he whirled around to find a mysterious figure standing in the distance, strangely appearing to be shrouded in darkness in spite of the well-lit corridor they stood in.

Without a word the figure turned its attention to Allen and launched another projectile, who was prepared for the attack.

"JUSTICE FIST," he shouted as he extended his fist to intercept the projectile.

A small explosion followed as both forces collided and Allen fell back against the wall clutching his sore arm.

"Damn, that thing almost broke my arm! That's unlike anything I've ever felt before," Allen grunted as he tried shaking the pain away.

Guile ignored the man's complaint and responded with a projectile of his own.

"SONIC BOOM," he cried out launching an arc-shaped projectile of his own, which the figure would lean to the right to dodge.

Without warning the figure charged towards the Air Force major and delivered a spinning back fist to knock him silly and then follow up with another special attack.

"SHADOWSAULT SLASH!" the figure cried as it launched itself into the air and performed a powered up variation of Guile's own 'Somersault Kick,' causing the veteran soldier to strike the ceiling and then fall to the ground with a hard thud.

"Oh my god Will," Jane sobbed, unable to contain her emotions after peeking her head out from behind the desk she had been hiding behind only to find her husband on the losing end of the confrontation.

The figure turned its head towards her and it was there she noticed the glint of light from what appeared to be a pair of spectacles the figure was wearing in addition to its giant forelock of hair.

"HADOKEN," a youthful voice cried out and the figure turned with its arms raised to block the projectile thrown in its direction.

Ken Masters threw himself at the unknown individual with a flurry of punches and kicks before finally landing a decisive blow when he took to the air.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!"

The salvo of rapid fire blows only managed to stun the wraith-like being, but left it wide open for the rich playboy to land another series of roundhouse kicks that sent it staggering backward.

"SOUL FORCE," Allen called out and the figure found itself being struck from behind by the Southern fighter's trademark projectile. The blow would knock the shadowy figure into another special attack.

"SHORYUKEN!" Ken cried out as he launched himself into the air with his fist ablaze, striking the figure on its chin and sending it flying into the ceiling before hitting the ground with another sickly thud.

"If you get back up, there's gonna be serious consequences bub!" Allen grunted towards the fallen figure, who kipped back to his feet.

"And I see you take direction very well," the redheaded fighter added as he went for a vaulting kick on his opponent, who would duck under the attack and respond with another special attack.

"SHADOW SHELL," the figure announced as it performed a somersault kick that knocked Allen back to the tiled floor.

Ken attempted a backward roundabout kick before the figure could cause any more damage, only to find his attack parried and then being knocked backwards by a thrust kick and then stunned by a follow up jumping sobat kick similar to the one he had witnessed Guile use countless times in combat. Out of desperation, the red-clad Ansatsuken warrior would attempt a lightning heel kick, but the darkened man managed to spin around him and slip his arms underneath his armpits and lock him into a full nelson hold before bridging backwards and driving him into the floor with a Dragon Suplex.

Guile was finally beginning to regain his bearings and pushed himself back to his hands and knees, wincing in pain as he attempted to rise back to his feet. "C'mon damn it," he grunted as he punched his fist into the tile. Before he could move any further he found his brother-in-law landing on the floor next to him.

Forcing himself to look up despite the pain in his neck, he was finally able to take notice of the shrouded figure's familiar build, as well as his manner of dress, the glint from its eyeglasses and lastly, the pronounced forelock handing in front of its face.

"No…it can't be…" Guile gasped in disbelief, "Ch…Ch…Charlie?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"BURNING KICK," Crimson Viper called out as she flew through the air with her feet followed by a blazing trail, landing a clean blow on Juri that sent her flying through the window of a nearby office.

"That…bitch…" the South Korean woman gasped as she braced herself against a nearby desk to pull herself back to her feet.

"Haven't you ever been told it's not acceptable to be sleeping on the job?" Crimson Viper called out in a condescending tone as she casually strolled into the office.

Scowling in anger, Juri noticed a nearby mail cart and kicked it towards the suited woman, who sidestepped the oncoming handcart and delivered another combo of punches before grabbing onto the Shadaloo operative and using compartments in her gloves hoping to shock the younger woman into submission. After a certain amount of time she tossed her opponent over a nearby desk.

Again Juri hit the ground with a hard thud, but she still wasn't ready to surrender.

It was then that a low whimper caught her attention and she turned to find a young woman in pink nursing scrubs cowering beneath the desk in a fetal position.

"This is going to hurt!" Viper called out as she charged energy into her right glove for her next attack, "SEISMIC-"

Before she could punch the ground, Juri rose to her feet with a young woman held in front of her.

"Go ahead! Do it!" the evil woman goaded, clamping down on the innocent nurse's neck, just mere seconds away from snapping it.

"Let her go!" Viper ordered, "This is between you and I!"

"Heh, such honorable talk from someone who has to use weapons against an unarmed opponent," Juri chortled, "Quite the double standard…don't you agree?" she asked her human shield, who only sobbed in reply.

The brainwashed woman now had Crimson Viper stuck between a rock and a hard place and she was determined to do whatever she could to tug at the spy's mind.

"Well what's it going to be trollop? Huh?" Juri giggled maniacally.

"Just let her go and we can finish this once and for all," Viper spat.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Juri laughed, treating this situation as if it were one big game.

From out of nowhere, a heavy tray flew through the air and struck the South Korean woman hard in the back of her head.

"Oh what the hell now?" she asked as she rubbed her sore head and turned around to see none other than Abel standing in the doorway, covered from head to toe in bandages with numerous tubes dangling from his body. Somehow he had managed to pull himself out of his bed and sneak all the way around to land a surprise attack upon the Shadaloo operative.

"Perfect, now I get to kill two birds with one stone," Juri commented, the evil slyness returning to her tone.

Fortunately, Abel's intervention had freed the nurse from Juri's clutches and left her wide open for an attack.

"BURNING DANCE," Viper called out as she flew through the air towards her opponent, extending her burning leg and nailing Juri in the stomach, sending her sliding along the floor in a streak of flame and ending with one large electrified blast that sent her flying through the nearest wall.

"That'll teach you to interfere in _our _business," Viper said dusting off her gloves as she looked over to find Abel staggering towards her.

Seeing his predicament she ran over and lent her shoulder to support him, "Now just take it easy sir. You're surely in no position to overexert yourself."

"Who are you…and what does she want with me?" Abel groaned weakly raising his arm to point to Juri, who by now was slowly pushing herself back to her feet.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Viper moaned as she readied for another fight.

"You were lucky! We'll meet again!" the young woman hollered as she clutched her sore stomach. "Next time, neither one of you will be left alive!"

With those words Juri disappeared down the hall.

Viper would have gone after her, but right now she had to worry about the man who needed her help and she led him over to the nearest wheelchair.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Charlie…it's me! It's Billy!" Guile shouted, uttering the nickname only his best friend in the entire world had ever been allowed to address him as.

The shrouded figure remained silent and turned his head to see both Allen and Ken returning to their feet.

"Charlie, why are you doing this? Tell me!" Guile pleaded.

Again Charlie remained silent.

"Guile, I don't know what's up, but I really don't think he's himself right now," Ken grunted next to him.

"C'mon Charlie, this isn't like you! Remember who you are!" Guile again pleaded, this time removing the set of dog tags from around his neck and holding them in front of him, "You're Charlie Nash! You were a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force! You were the best man at my wedding! You're the godfather of my daughter Amy…she still asks about her 'Uncle Charlie' all the time! You're like my brother! Snap out of it!"

It was a futile effort as Charlie remained silent and reentered his fighting stance when another voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Police! Freeze!"

Charlie turned around to find an entire S.W.A.T. team with their guns trained on him, yet he showed no fear, nor any other signs of emotion.

"Drop to your knees and put your hands behind your head! Do it now!" the lead officer ordered training his submachine gun on the possessed airman's chest.

Charlie dropped his hands and appeared to be ready to comply with the officer's order, when he suddenly shot his arms outward.

"SHADOW BREAK!"

With his arms surrounded by a glowing blue aura, Charlie shot his arms outward launching a hurricane-like wave of powered up 'Sonic Booms' at the approaching officers, sending them flying all over in different directions. When the smoke cleared, all officers were lying on the ground writhing about with various injuries.

"Well I think it's safe to say he's not going to listen to reason right now," Allen spoke up before shooting his arms outward, "FIRE FORCE!"

Normally Guile would have attempted to stop anybody from harming his friend, but he could only remain frozen in place, left in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

_"Is that even you old friend?" _he asked himself as he watched the dark figure effortlessly leap over the projectile and extend his leg towards Allen, only to be intercepted by another Hurricane Kick from Ken. The attack momentarily stunned the former airman, but he quickly recovered and fired a barrage of punches and kicks towards the two Ansatsuken fighters, who both had a hard time defending themselves due to his improved strength and speed.

"Guile, don't just stand there! Help us out damn it!" Ken pleaded as he barely ducked a sobat kick and then leapt backwards to avoid a step kick. His attempted fierce punch was ducked under and Charlie responded with a vicious uppercut that knocked him from his feet.

Allen tried to save his friend by grabbing Charlie from behind, but the possessed man stomped hard on his foot and then tossed him over his shoulder into the nearest wall. Giving the young Southern fighter no time to breath, the possessed airman then went over and grabbed him by the collar, ramming his knee repeatedly into his face before setting him free to execute another super combo upon him.

"CROSS SHADOW BLITZ," he called out as he delivered a rapid fire flurry of punches and kicks upon Allen, knocking him into unconsciousness.

With the two martial artists out of the way Charlie then turned his attention to Guile, who still remained frozen in horror and disbelief. The figure nodded and beckoned him to strike.

"No…I can't do it…I can't do it!" Guile grunted in anguish.

Shrugging with indifference Charlie threw a punch that caught his former best friend in the cheek and then a spinning back fist that snapped his head backward and sent him stumbling into a nearby fire case. He attempted to throw another punch, but Guile managed to move out of the way and his fist left a dent in the steel cover, shrugging it off without pain.

"Charlie please!" Guile again pleaded as he blocked a high kick that almost fractured his wrist before being struck in the chest by a 'Knee Bazooka' and then knocked from his feet by sweep kick that caused him to hit his head hard against the tile floor.

"Oh god no," Jane shrieked as the tears flowed freely down her face.

Charlie again turned his attention to Jane and walked towards her in a slow methodical fashion before he finally grabbed her by the throat and effortlessly hoisted her into the air.

"Charlie please…this isn't like you!" Jane croaked out the last part of her sentence as the man's hand clamped around her throat.

Up close she could finally make out the soulless gaze in his eyes, which suddenly began to glow an unearthly shade of gold. She would have screamed had she been able to. Right now it felt as if the end were near and she could only let the tears stream down her face as she thought of her husband and the young daughter she would never see again as her assailant's body was enveloped in blue flames.

"Forgive me old buddy," a familiar voice muttered from behind and before she knew it, Jane Guile found herself collapsing to the floor.

She looked up to find her husband William with his arms wrapped around his best friend and leaping into the air, dropping the possessed man's back hard onto his shoulder.

Guile watched as Charlie hit the ground hard. It was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do in his life and he would likely hate himself for a long time after for having to lay a hand in anger upon his best friend, but when he placed his hands upon his beloved wife, he had crossed the line and he felt compelled to act.

Charlie kipped back up to his feet and was preparing to go for another strike when the rattle of submachine gun fire filled the air and a salvo of bullets riddled the possessed man's chest.

Guile looked over his shoulder to find one of the S.W.A.T. officers had managed to crawl over towards the office entrance with his H&K MP5 held weakly in his free hand. He then looked over to see glowing holes in his friend's chest that were surrounded by an oily-looking substance. Within seconds the wounds began healing themselves and the 'blood' harmlessly streamed away from Charlie's body.

"What the hell could do such a thing?" Guile whispered to himself wondering who could possess such technology.

Charlie shifted his gaze back and forth between Guile and the officer when Bison called out to him telepathically.

_"Shadow, return to the designated rendezvous point at once! Your mission has been aborted."_

Without warning, Charlie disappeared in a flash of blue fire and Guile found himself left alone with his wife in the office.

A million questions raced through the major's mind as he stood dumbfounded after encountering the very man he believed to have died six years ago. The most prominent questions racing through his mind were "How could he have possibly survived that blast?" and "Who did this to him?"

For now though, he looked over to his frightened wife and ran over to comfort her.

"It's okay sweetie. He's gone now and he won't be hurting you again," Guile whispered into his wife's ear as he held her closely.

"Guile! Guile are you alright?" Ken's voice called out from the hallway, "Say something man!"

Hearing his brother-in-law calling out, Guile gently helped his wife back to her feet and led her back to the hall where he found Ken struggling to help a half-dazed Allen back to his feet. Seeing their struggle, Jane ran over to help the dazed fighter over to a nearby bench. By now several more police officers and emergency personnel were flooding into the hospital to help their injured colleagues.

"Major Guile," a woman's voice called out, one that sounded oddly familiar to him.

Turning around Guile was surprised to find the same crimson-haired woman in the black suit that had approached him in his barracks back at Fort McDaniel.

"You again!" he snapped as he walked over to the woman and got in her face, "You've got a lot of explaining to do and you'd better not be making any plans for running off on me like you did the last time!"

"Rest assured Major, I have no intention of abruptly exiting as I did the last time," the woman spoke, unafraid of Guile's harsh tone, "I trust you have finally taken the time to read the contents of the envelope that I left for you the last time?"

"You're damn right I did and I'm eager to find out where the hell you got that info from?" Guile snapped as his mind was taken back to what he had read.

"Seeing as how things have progressed I believe now would be the time to give you more of the answers you seek," she replied as she looked over to Ken and Allen, "You may want to include your friends in on this. What I am about to tell you would be of interest to them as well. You'll also be interested to know that visitor to your house has woken up as well."

"Alright, you've got my attention, but if you're planning something else and I find out, don't think for one second I will take it easy on you," Guile growled getting into the woman's face.

"There is no need for such aggression Major. You can rest assured that I am on your side and only want to do what I can to help. My employers and I are fully aware of your vested interest in matters pertaining to Shadaloo," she replied.

"So Bison has a hand in what just transpired here?" Guile asked.

"Judging from what I have seen firsthand, yes. To the extent of which his involvement is, we aren't so sure just yet. We believe there could be surviving elements of S.I.N. involved as well and that maybe they have formed some kind of alliance," the woman further explained.

"Well whatever it is, I'm definitely eager to find out more," Guile said as he again looked down to the set of dog tags held in his hand.

"And you will find out more, but first we need to find a more discreet location for us to discuss such matters," she said motioning to the chaotic atmosphere around them.

"Alright and one more thing, you obviously know who I am, but who are you?" Guile asked.

The woman offered him a sly smile, "Obviously I am not at liberty to disclose my real name to you, but you may call me Crimson Viper."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Near the outskirts of Pasadena, CA_

Little Eagle had been walking for several hours now, used to such lengthy excursions after all the survival training she had undergone in the harsh deserts of Mexico.

Judging by some signs she had noticed she knew she was en route to Pasadena and figured she would keep heading in that direction.

She knew she had to find somebody who could help in her battle Shadaloo, whether it be Major Guile or someone else. Nobody was going to tell her to sit back and relax as long as Bison was back among the living.

In the distance she could see lights and roughly estimated it would take her a little over an hour to reach the site given that she was traveling by foot.

"We're almost there Libertad," she said to her loyal animal companion, who remained perched on her shoulder.

She continued further until she could hear a woman's crying in the distance and kept moving until she spotted a redheaded woman in a cowboy hat standing near the smoking wreckage of what had once been a motorcycle.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" Little Eagle asked as she ran over to the woman, whose mascara ran down her face to give her scary-looking black tears.

"They took him!" she shrieked.

"Who did they take?" she asked getting closer to the woman.

"They took my baby!" the woman screamed, nearly deafening Eagle as she got in her face and began shaking her violently.

"Ma'am please, you need to calm down! You need to calm down!" the Thunderfoot warrior repeated as she finally managed to shake herself free of the woman's iron grip, inadvertently knocking her to the ground. "Who did they take?"

"R-Ru-Rufus! My sweet baby! They took him away from me!" the woman whimpered, "We…we were on our way back from dropping off some big French guy in Pasadena when they came!"

"And who are 'they?'' Eagle asked as she helped the woman over to a nearby rock.

"S-S-Some futuristic soldier looking guys! They had these goofy masks and these big guns. I thought they were fans of my baby! He's very famous y'know," the woman babbled on.

_"Could be Shadaloo," _Little Eagle thought to herself, "Okay then, may I ask who you are and could you please describe your 'baby' to me?"

"M-M-My name is Candy and oh…you should totally see my baby, he's very sexy y'know," the woman spoke with a girlish giggle, "Here, I think I have a picture of him!" she said as she began digging through her purse and pulled out a photograph to give to Eagle, "You should take a look at him for yourself, but don't get any ideas sweetie 'cause he's all mine!"

Little Eagle suddenly found herself fighting the urge to vomit as she looked at the picture, which turned out to be an image of a grotesquely overweight man who looked like he hadn't bathed in quite sometime, digging through the buffet at some fancy restaurant.

"That's my baby…oh poor Rufus! I don't even wanna think of what they would wanna do with him…" Candy trailed off before again grabbing Little Eagle by the arm, "Do you think you could help me find him? Please, oh pretty please! Maybe that buzzard of yours could help find him!" she said motioning towards Libertad.

"Um…I kind of have a lot on my plate right now and am on a journey of my own-" Little Eagle spoke before she was grabbed by the shoulders again and throttled violently.

"Please, pretty please! Pretty please! I don't know what I'll do without my baby! Please, I'm too young to be a widow! I really need my baby back in my life at once!" Candy screamed into her face now bawling uncontrollably.

"Okay, okay, okay! Please just stop your crying I'll do what I can to find him!" Little Eagle shouted back over the woman's ear-piercing shrieks before she suddenly found herself being squeezed tightly.

"Oh my god! Are you serious? Thank you so much! Thank you so much! You're the best, best, best, best friend in the entire universe…well after Rufus of course, but you catch my drift don't cha'?"

"Yes, yes, yes I'll do what I can to help you!" Little Eagle replied as she looked over her shoulder to see a police blazer approaching them, "I have to continue with my journey, but I'm sure the police will be able to help you for the time being."

"Oh I don't know how I could ever repay you for this sweetheart! You're going to have my eternal gratitude when you do finally find him!" Candy cried out.

_"Do I really want to find him?" _Little Eagle asked herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Another location outside of Pasadena, CA_

In a flash of light, the figure formerly known as Charlie Nash, now codenamed 'Shadow' landed in the designated landing spot where Lord Bison's VTOL transport jet waited for him.

A battered and bruised Balrog descended the lowered hatch, "Alright c'mon pal, we gotta get outta here," he grumbled to the brainwashed operative as he looked to the opposite direction, "Where's the girl?"

Hurried footsteps could be heard from a distance and were soon accompanied by heavy panting.

Juri emerged from the bushes with numerous bruises, cuts and one of her horn-like pigtails undone. She fell to her knees and began punching the ground in a fury.

"That bitch!" were the first words out of her mouth, "She ruined everything! Abel is still alive…" the South Korean woman grunted.

_"It is because of your own ineptitude that he is still alive," _Bison's voice suddenly called out as one of the Shadaloo soldiers appeared from behind Balrog, holding what almost appeared to be like a flashlight that displayed a holographic image of the dictator. _"Nevertheless, he is a story for another day. I need all of you back to base immediately."_

"Yes my lord," Balrog and Juri called out in unison while Shadow remained silent.

They ascended the hatch and made their way inside where several uniformed operatives were in the process of fastening the last strap across the bulbous gut of a yellow-clad man.

"It's about time he finally shut up," one of the soldiers spat.

"I wonder why Lord Bison wanted this fat loser anyway," another spoke as he checked the restraints to make sure they were secured, "I doubt these will be able to hold him anyway. This is everything we've got and it probably still won't be enough for the ride back home."

"Quit yer whinin'!" Balrog snapped, "Ol' Fatty wakes up he ain't gonna be up for long," the boxer said punching the air in front of him.

The capture of Rufus was only the beginning of another diabolical machination Lord Bison had in mind and the eccentric martial artist would be only mark the beginning.

Author's Notes: Alrighty then folks, so concludes my latest installment of "The World Warriors' Legacy" and now that I've gotten it out of the way I can go about with my post chapter rant.

As I type this out I must say that I am currently pissed at Capcom because they have officially REMOVED Frank West of "Dead Rising" fame from the active roster that was to be a part of "Marvel vs. Capcom 3." Yes, I am pretty pissed off about it as I was looking forward to playing as him, but I do retain traces of hope that they will either come out with an upgraded version of MvC3 just like they did with the "Super" rendition of SF4, or that he will at least become downloadable content in the future. We can only hope that the plucky photojournalist will soon grace of TV screens once again because "he has covered wars you know!"

Now that I've gotten that brief rant out of the way I will start out with a minor note that I've read online that "Holger" is Doctrine Dark's true name. Whether it's his first name or his surname I do not know, hence me referring to him simply as "Mr. Holger." I know there might be a few people pissed at me for killing him off like that, but it was never my intention to have him in this story for very long, that and to do whatever I can to make Juri seem like even more of a sadistic bitch than she already is.

In spite of my recent rant against them, I do have Capcom to thank for the idea from "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter" and "Marvel vs. Capcom" of having Bison do some kind of weird experimentation upon Charlie so that he could come back as "Shadow" for this fic. It really does tie into Guile's back story from his SF4 introductory video where Charlie's body is revealed to have never been found, that plus the case of the mysterious man who raised Abel. So for once, thank you Capcom!

The scene with Shadow Charlie performing his "Shadow Break" upon the S.W.A.T. team is inspired by Omega Red's ending from "X-Men: Children of the Atom" in which he takes out an entire S.W.A.T. team with one of his special moves.

The "holographic flashlight" scene was inspired by something I saw on the American "Street Fighter" cartoon in which one of Bison's men went to Vega I believe it was and Bison spoke to him via hologram. I figured since Shadaloo is supposed to be an ultra evil organization with all sorts of futuristic (and likely illegal by this point) technology, then Bison definitely needed some kind of holographic projection device. If they can afford their own satellite, their own "Psycho Drive" and a machine hidden inside a Buddha statue, then they can definitely afford something that projects holographic images!

The scene with Charlie being shot is also inspired by his SFA2 ending, but minus him falling down the waterfall and supposedly dying.

Well I'm hopeful that I've gotten all of my inane rambling out of the way and that I won't have to wait until the opening author's note of the next chapter to get it all off my chest, so here's hoping it's a mission accomplished!

Until next time read and review!

This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


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